On May 4, 1970; at Kent State, the Ohio National Guard opened fire on a group of students. In the end, four were killed and nine were wounded. This event took place at a time in America's history that was very turbulent. Because of the Vietnam War, students all over the country were creating protest groups. One such group was gathered on the field around noon protesting the presence of the National Guard. The guardsmen had been assigned to the campus after a group of students burned the ROTC building to the ground in an anti-war protest. What actually happened that day might never be known, but this is what I believe happened based on the evidence provided. .
After the students burned down the ROTC building, the Ohio National Guard was dispatched to the school. As lunch time came around, more and more students began to congregate on the field walking to and from class, lunch, or just hanging out. There were also students who were harassing the Guards. These students began to throw rocks and other various items at the Guards who eventually felt threatened enough that they opened fire on the students. They fired into the crowd of people that were harassing them, killing four and injuring nine.
I believe this is what happened based on the evidence of General Canterbury, the unnamed Guard, and Yvonne Mitchell. The General stated that he believed the guardsmen were justified. A military man in that high of a position knows what he is talking about. He has a sworn duty to protect the people but also his men. The unnamed Guard stated that he fired because the others fired. The others fired because they felt threatened, and he fired (because of them) to protect his comrades. Yvonne Mitchell stated that everyone was just there, there were some students harassing the guards but people were just there. She said that it was much like being in the wrong place at the wrong time. In the end, based on evidence, I believe that the guards fired because they were threatened by the mob.