Twenty photographs taken by the University News Service before, during, and after the May 4, 1970 shootings at Kent State University document the presence of National Guard troops on campus, tear gas being fired into a crowd of students, and the aftermath of the shootings that left four students dead. The photographs are 8" x 10" (20.32 x 25.4 cm).

Kent State University in Kent, Ohio was placed in an international spotlight after a tragic end to a student demonstration against the Vietnam War and the National Guard on May 4, 1970. Shortly after noon on that Monday, 13 seconds of rifle fire by a contingent of 28 Ohio National Guardsmen left four students dead, one permanently paralyzed, and eight others wounded. Not every student was a demonstration participant or an observer; some students were walking to and from class. As a result of the shootings, the university was closed for nearly six weeks.