In 1970 the US National Guard opened fire on student antiwar protesters at Kent State University in Ohio, killing four and wounding eleven others. The incident shocked the nation and galvanized student-led opposition to US military aggression in Vietnam and Cambodia. A wave of demonstrations erupted around the country in response, wreaking havoc on college campuses and increasing pressure on President Nixon to soften his stance on US intervention in Southeast Asia. The incident was one of many during the politically turbulent 1960s and 1970s that contributed to young people’s alienation from the political process.