Allison Krause
Encyclopedia
Allison B. Krause was an honor student at Kent State University
, Ohio
, when she was shot and killed by the Ohio Army National Guard
in the Kent State Massacre, while protesting the invasion of Cambodia and the presence of the National Guard on the Kent State campus. The Guardsmen opened fire on a group of unarmed students, killing four of them, at an average distance of about 345ft (106m). Krause was shot in the left side of her body at about 330ft (105m) fatally wounding her. A subsequent autopsy found that a single rifle bullet entered and exited her upper left arm, and entered her left lateral chest fragmenting on impact causing massive internal injuries. She died from her injuries later that same day.
Altogether, sixty-seven shots were fired by the Guardsmen in 13 seconds. The other students killed in the shootings were Jeffrey Glenn Miller, Sandra Lee Scheuer and William Knox Schroeder
. In addition, nine other students were wounded in the gunfire.
Just days before Allison Krause was killed, she said "flowers are better than bullets."
The shootings led to protests and a national student strike
, causing hundreds of campuses to close because of both violent and non-violent demonstrations. The Kent State campus remained closed for six weeks. Five days after the shootings, 100,000 people demonstrated in Washington, D.C.
against the war
.
Krause was an alumna of John F. Kennedy High School
in Silver Spring, Maryland. There is a courtyard memorial dedicated to her there. Her father, Arthur S. Krause, became an outspoken advocate for the press for truth and justice about what occurred that day and fought it in the courts for nearly 10 years following the death of his daughter. In the end the family of Allison Krause received a 'Statement of Regret' and $15,000 for the loss of Allison.
In 2010, Allison's sister Laurel Krause co-founded the Kent State Truth Tribunal 'KSTT' (http://TruthTribunal.org) with Emily Kunstler
. The tribunal was organized to uncover, record and preserve the testimonies of witnesses, participants and meaningfully involved individuals of the Kent State shootings of 1970. Showing his support, Michael Moore
livecast every KSTT testimonial at his website. In all, three tribunals were held in 2010: May 1, 2, 3 & 4 in Kent Ohio at the 40th anniversary of the shootings with a west coast tribunal in San Francisco in August and an east coast tribunal in New York City in October 2010.
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, when she was shot and killed by the Ohio Army National Guard
Ohio Army National Guard
The Ohio Army National Guard is a part of the United States National Guard and a reserve component of the United States Army. It is also a component of the organized militia of the state of Ohio, which also includes the Ohio Naval Militia, the Ohio Military Reserve and the Ohio Air National Guard...
in the Kent State Massacre, while protesting the invasion of Cambodia and the presence of the National Guard on the Kent State campus. The Guardsmen opened fire on a group of unarmed students, killing four of them, at an average distance of about 345ft (106m). Krause was shot in the left side of her body at about 330ft (105m) fatally wounding her. A subsequent autopsy found that a single rifle bullet entered and exited her upper left arm, and entered her left lateral chest fragmenting on impact causing massive internal injuries. She died from her injuries later that same day.
Altogether, sixty-seven shots were fired by the Guardsmen in 13 seconds. The other students killed in the shootings were Jeffrey Glenn Miller, Sandra Lee Scheuer and William Knox Schroeder
William Knox Schroeder
William Knox Schroeder was a student at Kent State University, Ohio, when he was killed by Ohio National Guardsmen in the Kent State shootings....
. In addition, nine other students were wounded in the gunfire.
Just days before Allison Krause was killed, she said "flowers are better than bullets."
The shootings led to protests and a national student strike
Student Strike of 1970
In the aftermath of the American Invasion of Cambodia on April 30, 1970, four students were killed at Kent State University on May 4, 1970 in Ohio, as well as two students at Jackson State College in Mississippi on May 14/15...
, causing hundreds of campuses to close because of both violent and non-violent demonstrations. The Kent State campus remained closed for six weeks. Five days after the shootings, 100,000 people demonstrated in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
against the war
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
Krause was an alumna of John F. Kennedy High School
John F. Kennedy High School (Montgomery County, Maryland)
John F. Kennedy High School is a public high school located in unincorporated Silver Spring in Montgomery County, Maryland.The school is a part of Montgomery County Public Schools.Over 1,550 students are enrolled at Kennedy...
in Silver Spring, Maryland. There is a courtyard memorial dedicated to her there. Her father, Arthur S. Krause, became an outspoken advocate for the press for truth and justice about what occurred that day and fought it in the courts for nearly 10 years following the death of his daughter. In the end the family of Allison Krause received a 'Statement of Regret' and $15,000 for the loss of Allison.
In 2010, Allison's sister Laurel Krause co-founded the Kent State Truth Tribunal 'KSTT' (http://TruthTribunal.org) with Emily Kunstler
Emily Kunstler
Emily Kunstler is an activist and a documentary filmmaker. Kunstler grew up in New York City's West Village neighborhood.- Education :...
. The tribunal was organized to uncover, record and preserve the testimonies of witnesses, participants and meaningfully involved individuals of the Kent State shootings of 1970. Showing his support, Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
livecast every KSTT testimonial at his website. In all, three tribunals were held in 2010: May 1, 2, 3 & 4 in Kent Ohio at the 40th anniversary of the shootings with a west coast tribunal in San Francisco in August and an east coast tribunal in New York City in October 2010.
External links
- Poem about Allison Krause
- Poem dedicated to Allison Krause:
- Kent State Truth Tribunal: http://TruthTribunal.org
- Kent State: Truth Emerging in this Cold Case Homicide: A poem written by Laurel Krause and entered in the U.S. Congressional Record on December 14, 2010 at the request of Congressman Dennis Kuncinich: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r111%3AE14DE0-0019%3A
- Allison Krause: May 4 Archive