Kent State University has responded to a tweet and Facebook post by Michigan GOP representative Dan Adamini published Thursday morning. The posts stated that a possible solution to continued protesting could be an event similar to the Kent State shooting.

The Kent State shooting — commonly known as May 4th/May 4th Massacre — was a display of force committed by the Ohio National Guard on May 4th, 1970 against protestors. 28 guardsmen fired into the vicinity of students from the top of Taylor Hill. Three shots were fired directly into the crowd. Four students were killed, and nine were wounded, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis.

National Guardsmen, May 4th, Kent State Campus | KSU Library Archive

The University, in an official statement, called out the post.

May 4, 1970, was a watershed moment for the country and especially the Kent State University family. We lost four students that day while nine others were wounded and countless others were changed forever. This abhorrent post is in poor taste and trivializes a loss of life that still pains the Kent State community today. We invite the person who wrote this statement to tour our campus and our May 4 Visitors Center, which opened four years ago, to gain perspective on what happened 47 years ago and apply its meaning to the future.

President of the University Beverly Warren also tweeted out her thoughts on the Michigan official’s posts. Warren called the comment “an abhorrent and painful use of our tragedy” that “has no place in healing the divide in America.” Warren continued, stating that “We will respond”.