A Short History of Attacks on US Presidents, Candidates
2024-07-16
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1Officials are investigating how a gunman was able to fire several shots at former President Donald Trump during a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
2Trump said one bullet struck his right ear. One person at the gathering was killed in the attack.
3Two others were wounded and remain hospitalized.
4Officials say the gunman was 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.
5Security shot and killed Crooks who was on top of a nearby building.
6Trump is expected to receive the Republican presidential nomination at the party's national convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin this week.
7Political violence, like the attack against Trump, is considered rare in the United States.
8But Saturday's attempted political killing, or assassination, and history show that presidents and presidential candidates can be the targets of dangerous or deadly attacks.
9Here are some attacks listed by the Associated Press:
10Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth president and the first to be killed in office.
11John Wilkes Booth, an actor, shot Lincoln in the head while he sat with his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, as they watched a play at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.
12Lincoln was taken to a nearby house where he died of his wound the next morning.
13The assassination took place on April 14, 1865 - days after the South's surrender ending the U.S. Civil War.
14Booth was killed on April 26 near Bowling Green, Virginia.
15James Garfield was the second president to be assassinated.
16Charles Guiteau shot Garfield as he walked through a train station in Washington on July 2, 1881.
17Efforts to find the bullet in Garfield's chest were unsuccessful.
18Garfield was moved to the New Jersey coast where he died on September 6 after only six months in office.
19Guiteau was tried, found guilty and executed in June 1882.
20William McKinley, the 25th president, was shot twice in the chest after giving a speech in Buffalo, New York, on September 6, 1901.
21Although doctors expected him to recover, a gangrene infection set in.
22He died on September 14.
23Twenty-eight-year-old Leon Czolgosz admitted to the shooting.
24He was tried, found guilty, and electrocuted in October of the same year.
25The 35th president, John F. Kennedy, was shot in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963, while traveling in an open car.
26He died soon afterward at Parkland Memorial Hospital.
27Police soon arrested Lee Harvey Oswald after finding evidence in a nearby building, the Texas School Book Depository.
28Two days later, Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner, shot Oswald who died.
29The shooting took place as Oswald was being taken from police headquarters in Dallas in front of television cameras.
30There have been several other attacks on presidents and presidential candidates.
31Here is a short list:
32Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president, was shot in Milwaukee in 1912 while campaigning as a third-party candidate.
33Roosevelt was seeking a third term. Folded papers and a metal container apparently slowed the bullet, and he was not seriously hurt.
34His would-be assassin was arrested and spent the rest of his life in mental hospitals.
35Gerald Ford served as the nation's 38th president.
36He faced two attempted assassinations within weeks in 1975.
37The first was by a follower of Charles Manson, Lynette Fromme.
38She pushed through a crowd in Sacramento, California, but did not fire her weapon.
39Fromme was sentenced to prison and released in 2009.
40Seventeen days later another woman, Sara Jane Moore, fired at Ford and missed in San Francisco.
41She was released from prison in 2007.
42The 40th president, Ronald Reagan, was walking to his car after a speech in Washington when he was shot by John Hinckley, Jr.
43Reagan recovered from the March 1981 shooting.
44Three others were shot including his Press Secretary James Brady.
45Brady would be partially paralyzed for the rest of his life.
46Hinckley was arrested.
47A jury found him not guilty because he was mentally sick.
48He was sent to a mental hospital instead.
49Hinckley was released in 2022 after a judge said he was "no longer a danger to himself or others."
50Robert Kennedy, brother of John Kennedy and a senator from New York, was seeking the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in June 1968.
51He had just won the Democratic primary election in California.
52After a victory speech at a hotel in Los Angeles, Sirhan Sirhan shot and killed Kennedy and wounded five other people.
53Sirhan was found guilty and was sentenced to death.
54His sentence was commuted to life in prison where he remains.
55Alabama Governor George Wallace was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination when he was shot during a campaign stop in Maryland in 1972.
56The shooting left him paralyzed from the waist down.
57Arthur Bremer was convicted in the shooting and sentenced to prison.
58He was released in 2007.
59I'm Mario Ritter. Jr.
60And I'm Caty Weaver.
1Officials are investigating how a gunman was able to fire several shots at former President Donald Trump during a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. 2Trump said one bullet struck his right ear. One person at the gathering was killed in the attack. Two others were wounded and remain hospitalized. 3Officials say the gunman was 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. Security shot and killed Crooks who was on top of a nearby building. 4Trump is expected to receive the Republican presidential nomination at the party's national convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin this week. 5Political violence, like the attack against Trump, is considered rare in the United States. But Saturday's attempted political killing, or assassination, and history show that presidents and presidential candidates can be the targets of dangerous or deadly attacks. 6Here are some attacks listed by the Associated Press: 7Abraham Lincoln 8Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth president and the first to be killed in office. John Wilkes Booth, an actor, shot Lincoln in the head while he sat with his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, as they watched a play at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. 9Lincoln was taken to a nearby house where he died of his wound the next morning. The assassination took place on April 14, 1865 - days after the South's surrender ending the U.S. Civil War. 10Booth was killed on April 26 near Bowling Green, Virginia. 11James Garfield 12James Garfield was the second president to be assassinated. 13Charles Guiteau shot Garfield as he walked through a train station in Washington on July 2, 1881. 14Efforts to find the bullet in Garfield's chest were unsuccessful. Garfield was moved to the New Jersey coast where he died on September 6 after only six months in office. Guiteau was tried, found guilty and executed in June 1882. 15William McKinley 16William McKinley, the 25th president, was shot twice in the chest after giving a speech in Buffalo, New York, on September 6, 1901. Although doctors expected him to recover, a gangrene infection set in. He died on September 14. 17Twenty-eight-year-old Leon Czolgosz admitted to the shooting. He was tried, found guilty, and electrocuted in October of the same year. 18John F. Kennedy 19The 35th president, John F. Kennedy, was shot in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963, while traveling in an open car. He died soon afterward at Parkland Memorial Hospital. 20Police soon arrested Lee Harvey Oswald after finding evidence in a nearby building, the Texas School Book Depository. 21Two days later, Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner, shot Oswald who died. The shooting took place as Oswald was being taken from police headquarters in Dallas in front of television cameras. 22There have been several other attacks on presidents and presidential candidates. Here is a short list: 23Theodore Roosevelt 24Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president, was shot in Milwaukee in 1912 while campaigning as a third-party candidate. Roosevelt was seeking a third term. Folded papers and a metal container apparently slowed the bullet, and he was not seriously hurt. 25His would-be assassin was arrested and spent the rest of his life in mental hospitals. 26Gerald Ford 27Gerald Ford served as the nation's 38th president. He faced two attempted assassinations within weeks in 1975. The first was by a follower of Charles Manson, Lynette Fromme. She pushed through a crowd in Sacramento, California, but did not fire her weapon. Fromme was sentenced to prison and released in 2009. 28Seventeen days later another woman, Sara Jane Moore, fired at Ford and missed in San Francisco. She was released from prison in 2007. 29Ronald Reagan 30The 40th president, Ronald Reagan, was walking to his car after a speech in Washington when he was shot by John Hinckley, Jr. 31Reagan recovered from the March 1981 shooting. Three others were shot including his Press Secretary James Brady. Brady would be partially paralyzed for the rest of his life. 32Hinckley was arrested. A jury found him not guilty because he was mentally sick. He was sent to a mental hospital instead. Hinckley was released in 2022 after a judge said he was "no longer a danger to himself or others." 33Robert Kennedy 34Robert Kennedy, brother of John Kennedy and a senator from New York, was seeking the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in June 1968. He had just won the Democratic primary election in California. After a victory speech at a hotel in Los Angeles, Sirhan Sirhan shot and killed Kennedy and wounded five other people. 35Sirhan was found guilty and was sentenced to death. His sentence was commuted to life in prison where he remains. 36George Wallace 37Alabama Governor George Wallace was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination when he was shot during a campaign stop in Maryland in 1972. The shooting left him paralyzed from the waist down. 38Arthur Bremer was convicted in the shooting and sentenced to prison. He was released in 2007. 39I'm Mario Ritter. Jr. 40And I'm Caty Weaver. 41Darlene Superville and Christina Cassidy reported this story for the Associated Press. Mario Ritter, Jr. adapted it for VOA Learning English. 42______________________________________________ 43Words in This Story 44assassination -n. the killing of a politically important person or officeholder 45commuted to -v. (legal) to exchange a more severe punishment for one that is less severe 46paralyzed -adj. having lost the use of a limb because of disease or injury 47We want to hear from you. 48Our comment policy is here.