William Knox Schroeder

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William Knox Schroeder (pronounced ʃroʊdər * 20 July 1950 in Cincinnati ( Ohio ), † 4. May 1970 in Kent ) was an American student at Kent State University , Ohio, when he by soldiers of the Ohio Army National Guard during killed in the Kent State massacre .

Origin and education

Schroeder was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of Florence Ella, b. Endebrock and Louis Arthur Schroeder and had an older sister, Nancy and a younger brother, Rudy (1953-2002). Schroeder moved with his family to Lorain , Ohio, where he attended elementary school and then graduated from Lorain High School, where he became an honor student and was considered an excellent athlete. Schroeder was already Eagle Scout (which the highest rank in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) corresponds to) when he at the age of 17 years for the scholarship of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) of the US armed forces applied . He has received awards for academic achievement from the Colorado School of Mines and from Kent State University, where he studied psychology . He also received the award from the Association of the United States Army (AUSA, German  Association of the United States Army ) for outstanding achievements in history.

Circumstances of death

Schroeder was killed by a single shot in the chest from an M-1 semi-automatic military rifle. He reportedly did not take part in the protests on the Kent State University campus against the Vietnam War that preceded the shooting, but moved between the classrooms where he was with Sandra Scheuer, who was on her way to a teachers' event the exchange of fire came about. His college roommate Lou Cusella said he believed Schroeder tried to escape before he was shot. “ Bill was 101 m from the nearest National Guard, which was not a major threat. He was shot with a portfolio in his hand ”.

According to official reports, Schroeder was actually 116 m from the National Guard at the time of his shooting, while he was lying on the ground facing away from the guardsmen. The bullet entered his left chest at the seventh rib, pierced his left lung, releasing some fragments above his left shoulder. He died almost an hour later while undergoing surgery in a hospital. Sandra Scheuer was shot in the neck and also died. Three other students were killed in the shootings: Allison Krause , Sandra Lee Scheuer and Jeffrey Glenn Miller .

The shootings sparked protests and a nationwide student strike, which closed hundreds of universities over violent and non-violent demonstrations. The Kent State campus was closed for six weeks. Five days after the shootings, 100,000 people demonstrated against the war in Washington, DC .

Legal proceedings

In October 1970 a grand jury acquitted the National Guardsmen of any wrongdoing. Two years later, in October 1972, the parents filed the killed and wounded students appealed to the United States District Court (German: Federal District Court ) and demanded a Federal grand jury, which was finally set up in December 1973rd Eight members of the National Guard were eventually tried in 1974, but the charges were dropped when it was decided that the prosecutors would not be able to prove their case. In January 1979, the parents of the killed and wounded students settled out of court for $ 675,000 in damages. Ultimately, the Schroeder family received a Statement of Regret (German: Declaration of Regret ) and $ 15,000 from the State of Ohio for the loss of their son William.

Schroeder's estate and souvenirs

William Schroeder's personal writings and belongings and supporting materials about his life have been on display in a special section of the Visitor Center for the May 4th events at Kent State University since the summer of 2019.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Dennis B. Roddy: Families still seek answers in 1970 Kent State slayings. In: Toledo Blade. May 4, 2010, accessed May 13, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Rudy R. Schroeder, 49, enjoyed hunting and target shooting. In: LorainCounty.com. Retrieved May 13, 2020 (English).
  3. ↑ Nation: Kent State: Martyrdom That Shook the Country. May 18, 1970, accessed May 13, 2020 .
  4. ↑ BBC - h2g2 - The Kent State University Shooting of 1970, September 14, 2004, In: h2g2.com (English)
  5. ^ William Knox Schroeder in Find A Grave
  6. ↑ Ohio Approves $ 675,000 to Settle Suits in 1970 Kent State shootings. In: Special To the New York Times. NYTimes.com, January 5, 1979, accessed May 13, 2020 .
  7. ↑ Kent State University: Kent State's May 4 Visitors Center Celebrates Life With "Bill: An All-American Boy" Exhibition. In: www.kent.edu. October 12, 2019, accessed on May 13, 2020 .
personal data
SURNAME Schroeder, William Knox
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American student, victim of the Kent State massacre
DATE OF BIRTH July 20, 1950
PLACE OF BIRTH Cincinnati
DATE OF DEATH May 4th 1970
Place of death Kent , Ohio , USA