Michigan Republican Suggests Protesters Should Be Shot

MARQUETTE, Mich. (AP) — Democratic and Republican party leaders in Michigan and Kent State University are condemning online comments from a county-level Republican that appeared to suggest shooting protesters.

Dan Adamini, secretary of the Marquette County GOP, last week tweeted: "Violent protesters who shut down free speech? Time for another Kent State perhaps. One bullet stops a lot of thuggery."

In 1970, the Ohio National Guard fatally shot four Kent State students during Vietnam War protests.

Adamini said Monday that he was calling for an end to violence after a demonstration last week at the University of California, Berkeley that stopped a speech by right-wing commentator Milo Yiannopoulos. Some protesters broke windows and tossed smoke bombs.

Kent State officials called Adamini's posts "abhorrent."

Michigan Republican Party spokeswoman Sarah Anderson says Adamini was speaking for himself.