Back on Saturday, July 13th, a failed assassination attempt was made on former President Donald Trump while he was delivering a speech at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania.
During the event, the shooter, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, opened fire, causing the death of one person and injuring two others. Fortunately, Trump sustained only a minor ear injury and received treatment at a hospital. He later assured his supporters on Truth Social that he was “fine” and encouraged them to “stand United.”
Trump joins the list of 10 other presidents or former presidents who have been targeted by gun violence. Here’s a quick overview of presidents who have either survived or succumbed to assassination attempts involving firearms.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president, was shot on April 14, 1865, just days following the end of the Civil War by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. Lincoln sadly passed away the next day.
Booth managed to escape initially but was later hunted down and killed by federal troops. Lincoln had previously faced another assassination attempt in August 1864 when a shot was fired through his hat while he was on his way to the Soldiers’ Home, a presidential retreat. The identity of the shooter in this incident remains unknown.
James A. Garfield
James A. Garfield, the 20th president, was shot on July 2, 1881, by Charles Guiteau, who was seeking a diplomatic appointment from the president.
Guiteau fired two shots at Garfield while he was walking through a train station in Washington, D.C. One bullet grazed Garfield’s arm, while the other got lodged in his abdomen. Despite efforts by doctors at the White House to remove the bullet, Garfield succumbed to infections and complications 11 weeks later, passing away on September 19, 1881. Guiteau was later convicted and executed in 1882.
William McKinley
William McKinley, the 25th president, became the third president to be assassinated by gunshot when he was fatally shot on September 6, 1901, by Leon Czolgosz, who opposed McKinley’s policies.
Mckinley was attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, when Czolgosz, carrying a concealed revolver in a handkerchief, shot him twice in the chest. Despite efforts to save him, McKinley passed away eight days later due to gangrene. Czolgosz was captured at the scene and executed later that year.
John F. Kennedy
One of the most well-known presidential assassinations was that of the 35th president, John F. Kennedy, who was tragically killed on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. Kennedy was shot while riding in an open-top limousine with his wife, Jacqueline, and Texas Governor John Connally by Lee Harvey Oswald, a former Marine who fired from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository.
Kennedy suffered fatal wounds and passed away shortly after at a nearby hospital. Oswald was arrested on the same day but met his own demise two days later at the hands of Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner, while being transferred to jail. Various conspiracy theories emerged following Kennedy’s assassination, although the official conclusion was that Oswald acted alone.
Presidential Attempts
In addition to the four presidents killed by assailants, there have been other notable assassination attempts on sitting presidents.
Andrew Jackson
The seventh president survived an attack by house painter Richard Lawrence who attempted to shoot him with two pistols in 1835 at the U.S. Capitol. However, both pistols misfired.
Theodore Roosevelt
The 26th president was shot in the chest by John Schrank while campaigning for a third term as a third-party candidate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1912. Remarkably, Roosevelt not only survived but also continued his speech with the bullet still lodged in his body.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
The 32nd president narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by Giuseppe Zangara, who fired several shots in his direction in Miami, Florida, in 1933. While Roosevelt was unscathed, Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak lost his life in the incident.
Gerald Ford
In 1975, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson, aimed a gun at the 38th president in Sacramento, California. However, she was quickly restrained by Secret Service agent Larry Buendorf.
Ronald Reagan
The 40th president was injured by a gunshot from John Hinckley Jr. in Washington, D.C., in 1981. The incident also resulted in injuries to three others, including press secretary James Brady, who was left paralyzed.
George W. Bush
The 43rd president narrowly avoided an assassination attempt when Robert Pickett, a former IRS worker, visited the White House armed with a revolver. Pickett managed to fire several shots before being subdued by Secret Service agents.