Jackson State Killings

Date: May 15, 1970 • Location: Jackson, United States

Police opened fire during a confrontation with a group of Jackson State College students, killing two students and injuring twelve others.

The Jackson State killings occurred on May 15, 1970, at Jackson State College in Jackson, Mississippi. On May 14, 1970, city and state police confronted a group of students outside a campus dormitory. Shortly after midnight, the police opened fire, killing two students and injuring twelve. The event happened 11 days after the Kent State shootings, in which National Guardsmen killed four students at Kent State University in Ohio during a protest against the Vietnam War. The Kent State event had first captured national attention.