Who was responsible for Kent State shootings? Speaker explores tragedy

A former Kent State student will speak about the events leading up to and following the May 4, 1970 campus shooting, in which Ohio National Guardsmen fired into a crowd of demonstrators during an anti-Vietnam War demonstration. Four students were killed and nine others injured.

Van Young, who arrived on campus the year after the incident, will present “The Kent State Shootings − Murder or Misfortune?” to 6:30 p.m. May 4 at the Dover Library, according to a community announcement. This year marks the 56th anniversary of the shooting.

Young plans to determine who should be held responsible for the tragedy — the soldiers or the students and protesters — and for the animosity between the anti-war student protesters and the U.S. government of the time.

Young, who considers himself a self-taught historian, was born and raised in northeast Ohio and now lives in Columbus. Since retiring from AT&T in 2012, he has become active in two central Ohio Civil War organizations and serves as president of the Griswold Center American History Study Group. He presents topics on American history, travel and current events to area history groups, senior centers, retirement villages and local colleges.

To register for the program, visit doverlibrary.org or call 330-343-6123.

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This article originally appeared in The Times-Reporter: 1970, topic of Kent State shooting, May 4 program at Dover Library.