CLOSE CALLS: A LOOK BACK AT PRESIDENTIAL ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS


By lpiette
JFK during the presidential assassination attempts.

On July 13th, gunshots rang out during former president Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. During his speech, one of the shots grazed his right ear, but did not cause severe injury. Two rally attendees were seriously wounded, and one was killed. Shortly after Trump was injured, Secret Service agents shot and killed the shooter, who was identified by the FBI as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. There is currently an ongoing investigation regarding the shooter’s motive. According to the FBI, the attack is being treated as an “assassination attempt.” Many Americans can recall similar shootings and attempts on past and current U.S. presidents across our nation’s history. Below, we’re taking a look back at past presidential assassination attempts in US history.

The History of Attempted Presidential Assassinations

As of the time of this writing, only four U.S. Presidents have been assassinated while in office. This includes:

  • Abraham Lincoln, killed in 1865 by John Wilkes Booth.
  • James Garfield, shot in 1881 at a train station.
  • William McKinley, killed in 1901 by an anarchist.
  • John F. Kennedy, shot in 1963 by Lee Harvey Oswald.

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President

The first presidential assassination attempt that was sadly successful was Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865. Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, were attending a special comedy performance of “Our American Cousin” at the Ford’s Theatre in Washington when he was assassinated.After being shot in the back of the head by Booth, Lincoln was taken to a house across from the theater for medical treatment. He died the next morning. It has been speculated that the motive behind his assassination was his support for Black rights, specifically his stance against slavery.Booth was shot and killed on April 26, 1865, after he was found hiding in a barn near Bowling Green, Virginia.

James Garfield, the 20th President

On July 2, 1881, James Garfield became the second president to be assassinated. His assassination occurred just 6 months after he took office. Garfield was walking through a train station in Washington to catch a train to New England when he was shot by Charles Guiteau.After his assassination attempt, Alexander Graham Bell tried to find the bullet, but was ultimately unsuccessful. Garfield received various treatments at the White House during the weeks after the attempted assassination, and died in September. Garfield had only been President for a short period of time when he was assassinated, only 6 months. James Garfield was found guilty, and was executed in June of 1882.

William McKinley, the 25th President

Joining the list of presidential assassination attempts is William McKinley. McKinley was shot while giving a speech in Buffalo, New York on September 6, 1901. While at the venue, McKinley was shaking hands with members of the audience when a man fired shots point-blank into his chest.McKinley was rushed to the hospital, where he was expected to make a full recovery. Unfortunately, gangrene set in around the bullet wounds, and he died on September 14, 1901, six months before his second term.Leon F. Czolgosz was found guilty, and was executed on October 29, 1901.

Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President

On February 15, 1933, an assassination attempt by Guiseppe Zangara nearly killed the then president. The attack occurred at a presidential rally at Miami’s Bay Front Park. Thankfully, Roosevelt wasn’t injured, but Mayor Anton Cermak was killed during the shooting. Guiseppe was convicted, and received the death sentence.

Harry S. Truman, the 33rd President

In November of 1950, when two gunmen broke into the Blair House (the location where the president was staying.) Truman was not injured during the shooting; however, a White House policeman and one of the assailants were killed and two policemen were wounded.Oscar Callazo was arrested, and was sentenced to prison for life. However, Jimmy Carter released him from prison in 1979.

John F. Kennedy, the 35th President

JFK was fatally shot by an assassin with a high-powered rifle during a visit to Dallas in November of 1963 while traveling with the first lady. While traveling, the president’s motorcade was targeted while it rolled through Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas.After the assassination attempt, Kennedy was rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where he sadly passed away shortly after. Hours after Kennedy was assassinated, the police arrested Lee Harvey Oswald after finding his perch in a nearby building.

Gerald Ford, the 38th President

Gerald Ford is the next president on the list who experienced two separate assassination attempts within the span of a couple weeks, but wasn’t hurt.During Ford’s first assassination attempt, he was on his way to a meeting with the California governor in Sacramento. This is when Lynette Fromme made her way through the crowd and pointed an automatic pistol at Ford. However, she never fired. After the incident, she was sentenced to prison. She was released in 2009.The second assassination attempt occurred 17 days later when Sara Jane Moore confronted Ford outside of his hotel in San Francisco. Moore shot Ford, but missed.When she attempted to shoot Ford for the second time, a person in the crowd grabbed her arm and stopped her. She was then sent to prison for these presidential assassination attempts, and was released in 2007.

Ronald Reagan, the 40th President

When Ronald Reagan was leaving D.C. after giving a speech, he was shot by John Hinckley while walking to his motorcade. Regan ultimately recovered from the shooting, but three others were injured during the assassination attempt.Hinckley was arrested and sentenced to reside in a mental hospital after the jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity.

George W. Bush, the 43rd President

Last up on the list is George W. Bush, who was attending a rally in Tbilisi in 2005 when a hand grenade was thrown at him while he was meeting with President Mikhail Saakashvili.Both former President Bush and President Saakashvili were standing behind a bulletproof barrier when the cloth-wrapped grenade landed 100 feet away. Thankfully, the grenade didn’t explode, and no one was hurt during the incident.After the assassination attempt, Vladimir Arutyunian was convicted and was sentenced to life in prison.

Donald Trump Becomes the Latest President to Experience a Failed Assassination Attempt

The most recent and last presidential assassination attempt took place on July 13, 2024 at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The FBI has identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, who graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022.In 2024, Crooks graduated from the Community College of Allegheny County in May with a degree in Engineering Science. He also worked at the Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center as a dietary aide.At this time, it has been confirmed that Crooks had a membership to a local gun club for the last year. Investigations are still ongoing as to what groups Crooks belonged to. There has been much speculation as to what Crook’s motive was for the shooting. According to Kevin Rojek, the FBI special agent in charge, there is currently no identified motive.There is also no indication at this time that Crooks has a connection to the military or any military branch. Crooks was armed with a semi automatic AR-style rifle that was legally purchased by and registered to Crooks’ father. The FBI is currently leading the investigation, and on Sunday, President Biden issued an independent review to take a closer look into what took place. There were multiple witnesses to the shooting, and their accounts are currently being reviewed. This is as we add this incident to the list of US presidential assassination attempts that injured one of our nation's past leaders.Suggested reads:

Sources:

Jeremy Herb, "Trump safe, two dead after assassination attempt at Pennsylvania rally." Accessed July 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/13/politics/trump-injured-pennsylvania-rally/index.html

Zachary B. Wolf, "Long list of presidents who have been shot or shot at." Accessed July 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/13/politics/presidents-who-have-been-shot-or-shot-at/index.html

Image: Wikimedia Commons


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