Jackson State killings
32°17′51″N 90°12′27″W / 32.29750°N 90.20750°W
| Jackson State killings | |
|---|---|
| Location | Jackson, Mississippi |
| Date | May 15, 1970 12:05 a.m. (Central: UTC−6) |
| Deaths | 2 |
| Injured | 12 |
| Victims | Phillip Lafayette Gibbs James Earl Green |
| Perpetrators | Jackson Police Department Mississippi Highway Patrol |
The Jackson State killings occurred on May 15, 1970, at Jackson State College (now Jackson State University) 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.