The highest-ranking uniformed officer on Blanket Hill during the May 4 shootings died at his home in Tennessee Saturday.

Charles Fassinger died in his sleep but was being treated for leukemia, wrote daughter Susan Crawford in an e-mail message to Alan Canfora, director of the Kent May 4 Center, and other May 4 leaders.

Fassinger was the most visible spokesman representing the guardsmen in recent years, Canfora said.

“He made a sincere attempt to represent the National Guard point of view,” Canfora said. “He was the most ardent defender of the Ohio National Guard.”

Fassinger was on Blanket Hill when another officer shouted the command for Troop G shooters to fire 67 gunshots into a crowd of unarmed student anti-war protesters. Four students were killed and nine were wounded.

&mdash Nicole Stempak