Sandy Lee Scheuer was a 20-year-old junior at Kent State in 1970. Her parents were celebrating their 27th wedding anniversary May 4 when she was shot and killed approximately 390 feet away from the Ohio National Guard.

Sandy grew up in Boardman, a suburb of Youngstown. In Kent, she shared a house with several other girls on East Summit Street. Her roommates said she always kept her room very clean.

Sandy was consistently an A and B student. Her major was speech. She had naturally curly, thick black hair. She was taller than the average girl, about 5 feet 5 inches. She loved to swim and play tennis, and she always rode her bike to class.

Sandy was very focused on her schoolwork. May 4, 1970, was a Monday. Sandy’s roommate went down to Atlantic City over the weekend. Her roommate tried to get Sandy to go with her, but Sandy opted not to go because she would have had to miss classes all day on Monday, May 4.

Sandy had a wide variety of friends who each held a wide variety of beliefs. When she was a freshman, she befriended several boys who were members of a group on campus called Students for a Democratic Society, or SDS. Several members of SDS were big supporters of the revolution, and Sandy worked hard to change their opinions.

Sandy was never into drugs at all, and she hardly ever drank. She didn’t smoke cigarettes, either. Even though she was not interested by those types of things, she didn’t make judgments or form opinions about those who were.

According to her mother, Sandy never really liked to talk about the war. She said Sandy felt bad for those men who had to go to war and even sorrier for the families of those who lost their lives.

On Saturday, May 2, Sandy’s mother came up to visit her at Kent and bring her some summer clothes. Her mother informed Sandy about the demonstrations and happenings on campus.

“If there’s trouble on Monday, Sandy, I don’t want you going to class,” her mother told her.

On the morning of May 4, Sandy’s best friend, Sharon, said it seemed like something was bothering Sandy.

“She seemed preoccupied and worried about what was taking place on the campus,” Sharon said.

Sandy was wearing a red knit jersey, denim bell-bottoms and Charlie Brown shoes on May 4. The bullet entered through the left side of her neck and severed an artery.

“I could see her face,” Sharon said after the 13 seconds of fire. “Her mouth was open, and her eyes were open. Her head was tilted back. I could see a lot of blood on her face and neck. I thought that she was only wounded.”

Sandy was quickly taken to Robinson Memorial Hospital. She carried no identification card with her.

Upon hearing of the disturbances in Kent, her parents tried calling Sandy’s house, but the phone lines were jammed. They did not get through until about 4 p.m. One of Sandy’s roommates told them she may have been injured. They quickly rushed to Ravenna and into the hospital, where they identified the body of their daughter.

Just days after the shootings, Sandy’s high school boyfriend wrote this to the Youngstown newspaper, The Vindicator: “Pray for Sandy’s parents and loved ones that they may have strength at this time, but also pray to God that such a senseless and shocking event will never happen again. Please, for Sandy’s sake!”

Justin Stine is an electronic media productions major, the treasurer of the May 4 Task Force and a columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact him at [email protected] Lee Scheuer was a 20-year-old junior at Kent State in 1970. Her parents were celebrating their 27th wedding anniversary May 4 when she was shot and killed approximately 390 feet away from the Ohio National Guard.

Sandy grew up in Boardman, a suburb of Youngstown. In Kent, she shared a house with several other girls on East Summit Street. Her roommates said she always kept her room very clean.

Sandy was consistently an A and B student. Her major was speech. She had naturally curly, thick black hair. She was taller than the average girl, about 5 feet 5 inches. She loved to swim and play tennis, and she always rode her bike to class.

Sandy was very focused on her schoolwork. May 4, 1970, was a Monday. Sandy’s roommate went down to Atlantic City over the weekend. Her roommate tried to get Sandy to go with her, but Sandy opted not to go because she would have had to miss classes all day on Monday, May 4.

Sandy had a wide variety of friends who each held a wide variety of beliefs. When she was a freshman, she befriended several boys who were members of a group on campus called Students for a Democratic Society, or SDS. Several members of SDS were big supporters of the revolution, and Sandy worked hard to change their opinions.

Sandy was never into drugs at all, and she hardly ever drank. She didn’t smoke cigarettes, either. Even though she was not interested by those types of things, she didn’t make judgments or form opinions about those who were.

According to her mother, Sandy never really liked to talk about the war. She said Sandy felt bad for those men who had to go to war and even sorrier for the families of those who lost their lives.

On Saturday, May 2, Sandy’s mother came up to visit her at Kent and bring her some summer clothes. Her mother informed Sandy about the demonstrations and happenings on campus.

“If there’s trouble on Monday, Sandy, I don’t want you going to class,” her mother told her.

On the morning of May 4, Sandy’s best friend, Sharon, said it seemed like something was bothering Sandy.

“She seemed preoccupied and worried about what was taking place on the campus,” Sharon said.

Sandy was wearing a red knit jersey, denim bell-bottoms and Charlie Brown shoes on May 4. The bullet entered through the left side of her neck and severed an artery.

“I could see her face,” Sharon said after the 13 seconds of fire. “Her mouth was open, and her eyes were open. Her head was tilted back. I could see a lot of blood on her face and neck. I thought that she was only wounded.”

Sandy was quickly taken to Robinson Memorial Hospital. She carried no identification card with her.

Upon hearing of the disturbances in Kent, her parents tried calling Sandy’s house, but the phone lines were jammed. They did not get through until about 4 p.m. One of Sandy’s roommates told them she may have been injured. They quickly rushed to Ravenna and into the hospital, where they identified the body of their daughter.

Just days after the shootings, Sandy’s high school boyfriend wrote this to the Youngstown newspaper, The Vindicator: “Pray for Sandy’s parents and loved ones that they may have strength at this time, but also pray to God that such a senseless and shocking event will never happen again. Please, for Sandy’s sake!”

Justin Stine is an electronic media productions major, the treasurer of the May 4 Task Force and a columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact him at [email protected].