Tin soldiers and Nixon comingWe're finally on our ownThis summer I hear the drummingFour dead in Ohio
— from the song "Ohio" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
On May 4, 1970, members of the Ohio National Guard opened fire on a crowd of unarmed college students at Kent State University during a protest against the U.S. invasion of Cambodia, part of the wider Vietnam War. The demonstration had escalated over several days, fueled by growing anti-war sentiment across the country. On that day, the Guardsmen fired 67 rounds over 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others, one of whom was left permanently paralyzed. The tragedy shocked the nation and intensified public opposition to the war, sparking protests at hundreds of campuses and prompting widespread criticism of government and military actions. The event remains a powerful symbol of the tensions between citizens and authority during a turbulent era in American history.
None of the Ohio National Guardsmen who shot and killed students at Kent State on May 4, 1970, were criminally convicted.
In the immediate aftermath, a federal grand jury indicted eight guardsmen in 1974 on charges of violating the civil rights of the students. However, in 1974, U.S. District Judge Frank Battisti dismissed all charges, ruling that the government had not proven the guardsmen had willfully intended to deprive the victims of their civil rights. Earlier, in 1970, a state grand jury had also refused to indict the Guardsmen.
A later civil lawsuit brought by victims and their families resulted in a 1979 settlement. The State of Ohio paid $675,000 to the wounded students and the families of those killed, along with a statement of regret, but without admitting wrongdoing.
The case remains controversial, with continuing debate over whether the guardsmen were ordered to fire or acted on their own in panic. Despite the deaths and public outcry, no one was held legally accountable.
The song Ohio by Neil Young, performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, was written in response to the Kent State shootings. Deeply affected by a photo of the tragedy published in Life magazine, Young quickly composed the song, capturing the anger, sorrow, and political outrage felt by many Americans. Recorded and released within weeks of the incident, Ohio became an instant protest anthem, with haunting lyrics that directly blame President Richard Nixon and mourn the senseless loss of young lives. The refrain "Four dead in Ohio" seared the event into the national consciousness, and the song remains one of the most powerful musical responses to government violence and civil unrest in American history.
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