Kent State Shootings: Digital Archive

CKSUV: Audio Recordings: Statement: Tolliver

Kent State Shootings: Digital Archive

CKSUV: Audio Recordings: Statement: Tolliver

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Description Recorded statement of Lafe (Lafayette) Tolliver conducted by the CKSUV. Tolliver was a student at the time of the shootings. He talks about Monday, May 4 and ROTC fire on Saturday night. He had a class that morning at 11AM but left early after completing his test. He then walked from Bowman Hall to the sundeck of Johnson Hall, near the SAC and observed the scene on the Commons. He describes the atmosphere around the Commons before the shootings and notes that he was a journalist and photographer and was very attuned to making observations of the scene. After teargas was released, he moved to behind the football practice field to avoid the gas. He reports that he saw no evidence of a "sniper" being present before the shootings. When he heard the shots fired, he knew it was live ammunition. After the shootings, he left the immediate scene due to fears of being shot or arrested. He is critical of Guard's and authorities' handling of the situation from the weekend and believes students need more power and voice in how to administer the University.
Date 1970-05-18
Institution Kent State University
Repository Special Collections and Archives
Access Rights This digital object is owned by Kent State University and may be protected by U.S. Copyright law (Title 17, USC). Please include proper citation and credit for use of this item. Use in publications or productions is prohibited without written permission from Kent State University. Please contact the Department of Special Collections and Archives for more information.
Duplication Policy http://www.library.kent.edu/special-collections-and-archives/duplication-policy
Duration 0:33:18
DPLA Rights Statement http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Format of Original reel-to-reel
Author/Photographer Tolliver, Lafayette
Subcollection Commission on KSU Violence records
Subject(s) Audio recording
Commissions, Hearings, Tribunals
May 4 Provenance May 4 Collection