Terry Norman
Encyclopedia
Terrence Brooks Norman (born 1949) was a Kent State
University student allegedly involved in the Kent State shootings
.
Norman was a junior
at the University when soldiers from the Ohio National Guard
killed four students and wounded others during a May 4, 1970 protest. Norman was present at the protest and was photographing the demonstrators for both the campus police and the FBI
, a fact that was initially denied by both agencies but later confirmed.
After the shooting, Sylvester Del Corso, the Ohio National Guard's top general, released a public statement claiming that Norman had admitted firing four shots at the demonstrators in self-defense. He later backed off from that statement.
There were several reasons why Norman was suspected of starting the tragedy:
The FBI squelched that speculation by announcing that Norman's gun had never been fired. However, the issue of his role on May 4 was revived three years later. Peter Davies, the author of the book The Truth About Kent State, and William A. Gordon, a journalist for the college's student newspaper and the future author of Four Dead in Ohio, reported that there were three additional witnesses who said they had heard either Norman admitting, "I had to shoot", or a Kent State police detective exclaim, "My God, he fires his gun four times. What the hell do we do now?"
In the wake of this new evidence, a Congressional
subcommittee overseeing the Justice Department
and the Justice Department itself began reviews of the case. Once news of the investigation broke, John Martin, the captain of one of the National Guard units that fired, came forward with the statements of his men, including one who thought he overheard Norman admit shooting a person. That revelation in return resulted in an accusation by Senator Birch Bayh
that Norman may have been "the fatal catalyst" of the tragedy.
Ironically, at the time Norman was accused of starting the Kent shootings, there were not any witnesses who actually saw him fire his .38 gun, much less shoot a student. All the witnesses who thought they heard either Norman or the detective say that Norman had fired four shots had been at the university's ROTC building, approximately one hundred yards from the shooting.
After the accusations had been made, John Dunphy of the Akron Beacon Journal
wrote several articles that seemed to exonerate Norman. Dunphy interviewed a new witness, Tom Masterson, who admitted he was the student who had attacked Norman. Masterson also supported Norman's claim that he had only drawn his gun after the shootings and in self-defense.
An audio analysis commissioned by the Justice Department of the 68 shots fired at Kent that day appeared to further exonerate Norman. The analysis, performed for the Justice Department by the Massachusetts
firm Bolt, Beranek and Newman
(the same firm that discovered the 18 minute gap in the Nixon tapes), concluded that three shots preceded the 13-second volley; that all were fired by M-1 rifles carried by the Guardsmen; and that there was such a short period of time between the first three shots and the sustained 13-second volley that a shot from one individual could not have triggered the others.
Still, there were unanswered questions. Norman subsequently admitted to positioning himself between the Guardsmen and the protestors and throwing rocks at the students. He claimed to have thrown two or three rocks, but Masterson put the number at closer to "half a dozen, a dozen". Captain John Martin said that he had also noticed Norman throwing rocks and had asked himself, "What is this idiot doing?". It is unclear whether Norman acted on the behest the agencies he reported to—the university police and the FBI—or whether he acted on his own accord.
It is also unclear why the FBI initially lied to the public when it claimed to have no relationship with Norman, and why they had announced that his gun had never been fired. An FBI lab report surfaced indicated that Norman's pistol had been fired since its last cleaning. However, the lab was unable to ascertain when or where the gun had most recently been fired.
In a 2006 Tampa Tribune article by former Cleveland Plain Dealer writer Janis Froelich examined Norman's life since the shooting. According to the article, Norman has lived in three states and has held as many different jobs. Froelich located Norman in 2006 living in North Carolina and working as a car salesman.
In 2006 James Renner, current editor of the Cleveland Independent newspaper, described Norman in the Free Times as a possible agent provocateur
. Renner stated, "I think he was hired by the FBI to incite instability within SDS
." The state of Ohio and the U.S. Justice Department refused to review the new evidence, leaving the story of the Kent State shootings unfinished. The case remains in limbo.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
University student allegedly involved in the Kent State shootings
Kent State shootings
The Kent State shootings—also known as the May 4 massacre or the Kent State massacre—occurred at Kent State University in the city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of unarmed college students by members of the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970...
.
Norman was a junior
Junior (education)
"Junior" is a term used in the United States to describe a student in their 3rd year of study . A Junior is considered an upperclassman...
at the University when soldiers from the Ohio National Guard
Ohio National Guard
The Ohio National Guard comprises:* Ohio Army National Guard* Ohio Air National Guard-External links:* compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History...
killed four students and wounded others during a May 4, 1970 protest. Norman was present at the protest and was photographing the demonstrators for both the campus police and the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, a fact that was initially denied by both agencies but later confirmed.
After the shooting, Sylvester Del Corso, the Ohio National Guard's top general, released a public statement claiming that Norman had admitted firing four shots at the demonstrators in self-defense. He later backed off from that statement.
There were several reasons why Norman was suspected of starting the tragedy:
- Norman was the only person on campus other than a Guardsman known to have been armed with a weapon;
- The Guard continued to insist that a single shot of unknown origin preceded the 13-second volley of gunfire; and
- There had been a previous and never-fully-explained incident on Blanket Hill in which Norman drew his gun and pointed it at students. Norman had scuffled with some fellow students and reportedly drawn his gun before being chased by several men across the campus to the campus police and National Guard. One of his pursuers, graduate student Harold Reid, yelled, "Stop that man! He has a gun."
The FBI squelched that speculation by announcing that Norman's gun had never been fired. However, the issue of his role on May 4 was revived three years later. Peter Davies, the author of the book The Truth About Kent State, and William A. Gordon, a journalist for the college's student newspaper and the future author of Four Dead in Ohio, reported that there were three additional witnesses who said they had heard either Norman admitting, "I had to shoot", or a Kent State police detective exclaim, "My God, he fires his gun four times. What the hell do we do now?"
In the wake of this new evidence, a Congressional
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
subcommittee overseeing the Justice Department
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
and the Justice Department itself began reviews of the case. Once news of the investigation broke, John Martin, the captain of one of the National Guard units that fired, came forward with the statements of his men, including one who thought he overheard Norman admit shooting a person. That revelation in return resulted in an accusation by Senator Birch Bayh
Birch Bayh
Birch Evans Bayh II is a former United States Senator from Indiana, having served from 1963 to 1981. He was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in the 1976 election, but lost to Jimmy Carter. He is the father of former Indiana Governor and former U.S. Senator Evan Bayh.-Life...
that Norman may have been "the fatal catalyst" of the tragedy.
Ironically, at the time Norman was accused of starting the Kent shootings, there were not any witnesses who actually saw him fire his .38 gun, much less shoot a student. All the witnesses who thought they heard either Norman or the detective say that Norman had fired four shots had been at the university's ROTC building, approximately one hundred yards from the shooting.
After the accusations had been made, John Dunphy of the Akron Beacon Journal
Akron Beacon Journal
The Akron Beacon Journal is a four-time Pulitzer Prize-winning morning newspaper in Akron, Ohio, United States, and published by Black Press Ltd.. It is the sole daily newspaper in Akron and is distributed throughout Northeast Ohio. The paper places a strong emphasis on local news and business...
wrote several articles that seemed to exonerate Norman. Dunphy interviewed a new witness, Tom Masterson, who admitted he was the student who had attacked Norman. Masterson also supported Norman's claim that he had only drawn his gun after the shootings and in self-defense.
An audio analysis commissioned by the Justice Department of the 68 shots fired at Kent that day appeared to further exonerate Norman. The analysis, performed for the Justice Department by the Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
firm Bolt, Beranek and Newman
BBN Technologies
BBN Technologies is a high-technology company which provides research and development services. BBN is based next to Fresh Pond in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA...
(the same firm that discovered the 18 minute gap in the Nixon tapes), concluded that three shots preceded the 13-second volley; that all were fired by M-1 rifles carried by the Guardsmen; and that there was such a short period of time between the first three shots and the sustained 13-second volley that a shot from one individual could not have triggered the others.
Still, there were unanswered questions. Norman subsequently admitted to positioning himself between the Guardsmen and the protestors and throwing rocks at the students. He claimed to have thrown two or three rocks, but Masterson put the number at closer to "half a dozen, a dozen". Captain John Martin said that he had also noticed Norman throwing rocks and had asked himself, "What is this idiot doing?". It is unclear whether Norman acted on the behest the agencies he reported to—the university police and the FBI—or whether he acted on his own accord.
It is also unclear why the FBI initially lied to the public when it claimed to have no relationship with Norman, and why they had announced that his gun had never been fired. An FBI lab report surfaced indicated that Norman's pistol had been fired since its last cleaning. However, the lab was unable to ascertain when or where the gun had most recently been fired.
In a 2006 Tampa Tribune article by former Cleveland Plain Dealer writer Janis Froelich examined Norman's life since the shooting. According to the article, Norman has lived in three states and has held as many different jobs. Froelich located Norman in 2006 living in North Carolina and working as a car salesman.
New evidence
In 2010, forty years after the events of May 4, forensic expert Stuart Allen, using advanced technology, studied an audiotape of the shootings and concluded that the guardsman were indeed given orders to prepare to fire. Allen continued to study the tape and came up with another surprising finding: that someone had indeed fired four shots some 70 seconds prior to the National Guardsmen opening fire. The evidence appears to implicate Norman as the shooter.In 2006 James Renner, current editor of the Cleveland Independent newspaper, described Norman in the Free Times as a possible agent provocateur
Agent provocateur
Traditionally, an agent provocateur is a person employed by the police or other entity to act undercover to entice or provoke another person to commit an illegal act...
. Renner stated, "I think he was hired by the FBI to incite instability within SDS
Students for a Democratic Society
Students for a Democratic Society was a student activist movement in the United States that was one of the main iconic representations of the country's New Left. The organization developed and expanded rapidly in the mid-1960s before dissolving at its last convention in 1969...
." The state of Ohio and the U.S. Justice Department refused to review the new evidence, leaving the story of the Kent State shootings unfinished. The case remains in limbo.