Donald Trump attack: Former US President Donald Trump was injured after being shot in the ear during an apparent assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 13. This incident is not the first of its kind, several former presidents and presidential candidates have faced assassination attempts. Historically, four presidents—Abraham Lincoln, James A Garfield, William McKinley, and John F Kennedy—have been assassinated. Here is a look at some notable assassinations and attempts on political figures since the founding of the nation in 1776.
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was assassinated on April 14, 1865, by John Wilkes Booth while attending a performance at Ford's Theatre in Washington, with his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. Lincoln was shot in the back of the head and was quickly taken to a nearby house for medical treatment. He passed away the following morning. The motive behind his assassination has been linked to his support for Black rights, particularly his issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 during the Civil War, which aimed to grant freedom to slaves in the Confederate states.
Vice President Andrew Johnson succeeded Lincoln after his death. John Wilkes Booth was tracked down and killed on April 26, 1865, after being found hiding in a barn near Bowling Green, Virginia.
James A Garfield, the 20th president
James A Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, became the second president to be assassinated just six months after taking office. On July 2, 1881, while walking through a train station in Washington to catch a train to New England, he was shot by Charles Guiteau. After the shooting, Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, attempted unsuccessfully to locate the bullet lodged in Garfield's chest using a specially designed device. Garfield, mortally wounded, remained at the White House for several weeks before being moved to the New Jersey shore, where he passed away in September. He had served as president for six months.
Vice President Chester Arthur succeeded Garfield after his death. Charles Guiteau was found guilty of the assassination and was executed in June 1882.
William McKinley, the 25th president
President William McKinley was shot on September 6, 1901, shortly after delivering a speech in Buffalo, New York. While greeting people in a receiving line, McKinley was shot twice in the chest at point-blank range. Initially, doctors were hopeful for his recovery, but complications from gangrene around the bullet wounds led to his death on September 14, 1901, just six months into his second term.
Vice President Theodore Roosevelt succeeded McKinley as president. The shooter, Leon F Czolgosz, a 28-year-old unemployed resident of Detroit, admitted to the assassination. Czolgosz was convicted and executed in the electric chair on October 29, 1901.
John F. Kennedy, the 35th president
President Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963 while visiting Dallas with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. A hidden assassin armed with a high-powered rifle fired shots at the president's motorcade as it passed through Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas. Kennedy was rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn into office aboard Air Force One, making him the only president to take the oath of office on an aeroplane. He succeeded Kennedy as president.
Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested hours after the assassination when police discovered a sniper's perch in a nearby building, the Texas School Book Depository. Two days later, Oswald was being transferred from police headquarters to the county jail when he was shot and killed by Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd president
Roosevelt, at the time the president-elect, narrowly escaped injury in February 1933 when gunshots were fired while he was delivering a speech in Miami from the back of an open car. The shooting killed Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak, who was standing nearby. Fortunately, Roosevelt himself was unharmed during the incident. Guiseppe Zangara was convicted of the shooting and subsequently sentenced to death.
Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president
President Truman was staying at Blair House, located across the street from the White House, in November 1950 when two gunmen broke in. Although Truman himself was unharmed, there was an exchange of gunfire during which a White House policeman and one of the assailants were killed. Two other White House policemen were wounded in the incident.
Oscar Collazo was arrested for his involvement and initially sentenced to death. However, in 1952, President Truman commuted Collazo's sentence to life in prison. Collazo was later released from prison in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter.
Gerald Ford, the 38th president
President Ford faced two assassination attempts within weeks in 1975, but fortunately, he was not injured in either incident. In the first attempt, Ford was on his way to a meeting with California's governor in Sacramento when Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson, pushed through a crowd, drew a semi-automatic pistol, and pointed it at Ford. However, the gun was not fired. Fromme was subsequently sentenced to prison and released in 2009.
Just 17 days later, another woman, Sara Jane Moore, confronted Ford outside a hotel in San Francisco. Moore fired one shot but missed, and a bystander quickly intervened to prevent a second shot. Moore was also sentenced to prison and released in 2007.
Ronald Reagan, the 40th president
President Reagan was leaving a speech in Washington and heading towards his motorcade when he was shot by John Hinckley Jr., who was among the crowd. Reagan eventually recovered from the shooting that occurred in March 1981. Three other individuals were also shot during the incident, including his press secretary, James Brady, who was left partially paralysed.
Following a trial where he was found not guilty by reason of insanity, Hinckley was arrested and confined to a mental hospital. In 2022, a judge ruled that Hinckley was no longer a threat to himself or others, resulting in his release from court oversight.
George W. Bush, the 43rd president
President Bush was attending a rally in Tbilisi in 2005 alongside Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili when a hand grenade was hurled toward them. They were both shielded by a bulletproof barrier at the time. The grenade, wrapped in cloth, landed approximately 100 feet away but fortunately did not detonate, resulting in no injuries. Vladimir Arutyunian was later convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the incident.
Theodore Roosevelt, presidential candidate
The former president was shot in Milwaukee in 1912 while campaigning to return to the White House. Roosevelt had previously served two terms as president and was running again as a third-party candidate. Folded papers and a metal glasses case in Roosevelt's pocket apparently blunted the bullet's impact and he was not seriously hurt. John Schrank was arrested and spent the remainder of his life in mental hospitals.
Robert F. Kennedy, presidential candidate
Kennedy was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination when he was killed at a Los Angeles hotel — moments after giving his victory speech for winning the 1968 California primary. Kennedy was a U.S. senator from New York and the brother of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated five years earlier. Five other people were wounded in the shooting. Sirhan Sirhan was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. That was commuted to life in prison, where Sirhan remains after his latest petition for release was denied last year.
George Wallace, presidential candidate
Wallace was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination when he was shot during a campaign stop in Maryland in 1972, an incident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Wallace, the governor of Alabama, was known for his segregationist views, which he later renounced. Arthur Bremer was convicted in the shooting and sentenced to prison. He was released in 2007.
(With AP inputs)
