Transcription of the recorded statement of Louis Kristopson, Jr. conducted by the Commission on KSU Violence.

[Unknown Speaker]: Testing, 1, 2, 3. Testing, 1, 2, 3. Testing, 1, 2, 3, testing.

[Louis Kristopson, Jr.]: How do you turn it off, like if I’m done?

[Unknown Speaker]: [unintelligible]

[Louis Kristopson, Jr.]: My name is Louis Kristopson, K-r-i-s-t-o-p-s-o-n, Jr. My address is 814 Allerton Street, Kent. My phone number is 673-2010.

The things that I observed during Monday started at approximately 12:15. One of my instructors, unknowing as I was unknowing, that we were not allowed to go to the Commons, did go there to supposedly discuss logical methods for withdrawing the National Guard troops. Approximately at 12:20 to 12:25, additional Guards came on to the section near the burned-down ROTC building. Approximately 12:25 to 12:30, the first wave of Guardsmen lobbed teargas into the crowd of spectators, in front of them on the hill. At this time, there were at least 2,000 people congregated behind the Guardsmen, behind the ROTC building, by the Student Union. For some reason however, during the whole melee from early-morning hours until the tragedy, these masses of people–students, professors–were totally ignored, almost as though the National Guard was more or less playing a game to calm one group, but leave the other alone.

At approximately 12:25 when the tear gas was lobbed, several small groups of Guardsmen went up to disperse the crowd. They went towards Taylor Hall, towards the tennis courts, etcetera, dispersing the people. Very few rocks were thrown. Never being in a demonstration before, except the one small rally in Cleveland, I purposely counted the number of rocks thrown, etcetera, that I could. On my side of the hill, the side opposite where the tragedy occurred, during the whole confrontation from 12:00 until approximately 4:00, I viewed only four to six rocks being thrown–none more. This is disregarding the number of tear gas canisters that various radicals threw back at the students. I would say that approximately three students at the most threw rocks on my side; also that more than 10 to 15 out of at least these 2,000 students yelled obscenities. The Guard retreated from its first advancement, formed its wave again at the bottom of the hill and advanced again lobbing tear gas canisters. There were several small groups, perhaps twenty men to a group, three to four groups, that went in different directions again up the hill–a couple towards the tennis courts, etcetera, dispersing the crowds.

I must say, during the first confrontation–I forgot to say that one Guardsman was provoked by a student right about in the midsection of Taylor Hall underneath some trees. The Guardsman hit the student which probably deserved it for the kind of provocation he led the Guard on with, but after hitting the student once, letting him know what was going on, letting him know he shouldn’t have been there doing what he was doing, he was not satisfied with what he did. As the student tried to get up and run away, the Guardsman proceeded to hit the student maliciously several times–I would say three to four times at least, direct contact with his club. The Guardsman, unable to reach the student finally because of his fast fleeing power, then turned around and went back with his regular group.

Now, on the second wave as they were going up the hill, on top of the hill, the few Guardsmen–15 to 20 of them–went over the hill. At that time, and during most of the time, I was either at the corner of Taylor Hall by the Commons, the lower corner where most of the ruckus happened. I was either there or in the hedges approximately 30 to 50 yards away depending on where the Guard was coming, I would get out of their way quite a bit. At this time I was observing the Guards at the bottom of the hill start to form a new wave, lining up in their military stance or whatever it was called.

After a few minutes time, perhaps five to ten minutes, I’m not sure, the Guardsmen that went over the hill were coming back. We would first see their heads, then their shoulders, etcetera, backing up the hill. And then, I thought I heard fireworks of some sort. I immediately looked at the Guards, saw them firing their rifles–from my direction at the bottom of the one side of the hill, I could not see whether they were firing into the crowd or over their heads being that they were on the hilltop. However, within a few seconds–the burst, which would last approximately three to four seconds–a few students, four to ten let’s say, ran over the hill screaming, etcetera, about what had happened–the shootings. I immediately got closer to Taylor Hall and upon seeing the ambulance starting to come up the hill, I walked from Taylor Hill to the other side of the hill–the other side of the bottom of the hill, towards the dorm to get out of its way. The Guard then proceeded to back down the hill and go into its formation with the rest of the Guards near the burned-down ROTC building. I do not know at all what happened on the other side of the hill. I do know however, that on my side of the hill there was little provocation at all from the students. Miscellaneous or obscene words were mentioned by many–perhaps one to two hundred once in a while. But as actual pure provocation I think it was limited to no more–in a conservative estimate–no more than 50 students. As I said before, four to six rocks or stones–no more, no more whatsoever on my side of the hill. I have no idea what was thrown on the other side, but on my side that’s all that was thrown, excluding the tear gas canisters.

In general, most of the Guards’ attitude was conservative. They, in a sense, did their job. Except for the few that fired, and the few that provoked students. Such as, after the shootings there were two Guards that many of the students did not chant at the Guards, but more or less chanted among themselves–”Fatsos.” The reason they chose this word were that two of these Guards would, whenever the student said “Murderer”–which one must psychologically try to understand their state of mind–would smile back at the students with a grin and daintily caress their rifle. To me, this is wrong, this is nothing but pure provocation. The general attitude of the students during this whole situation–there was one that they came there to peacefully discuss how they could peacefully withdraw the National Guard. And upon immediately coming to the Commons, were confronted with the violence from the National Guard. I must say that during this entire period no one, including many professors, was notified that a state of martial law had officially been declared. This horrendous action is completely at fault with the Guard. If they are to do their duty, then they should do it completely, not half-shot.

I would also like to say that during the complete disturbance, the general attitude of the students towards the National Guard was not so much one of bitterness, but of trying to meet an understanding. Many students talked with the Guard, brought them donuts, coffee, etcetera, trying to find out what they thought and what they felt like, etcetera. There was a little, if any, provocation on my side of the hill, between the hours of 12:15 to 4 o’clock on that Monday, the 4th. In my opinion, the main fault is with the general and Governor Rhodes. Insanity breeds insanity.