Butler, Pennsylvania | By Michael Wandati | Former President Donald Trump revealed he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt during a Pennsylvania campaign rally on Saturday.
Reports indicate multiple shots were fired, leading to the death of a spectator and critical injuries to two others.
The U.S. Secret Service has confirmed the suspected shooter’s death — identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania and is investigating the incident as an attempted assassination.
A Trump campaign spokesperson reassured the public of Trump’s safety in a statement on Saturday night. The incident has sparked widespread condemnation of political violence from both Democrats and Republicans.
This incident precedes Trump’s upcoming appearance at the Republican Party’s convention in Milwaukee, where he is expected to formally accept his party’s presidential nomination.
Video captures shooting at Trump rally
It echoes similar historical instances where Presidents and Presidential candidates have faced threats to their lives.
Including Abraham Lincoln and JFK, here are some notable examples of shootings involving U.S. Presidents or Presidential candidates:
Ronald Reagan (1981)
In 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot and seriously wounded outside the Hilton hotel in Washington.
The assailant, John Hinckley Jr., later granted unconditional release in 2022, carried out the attack. Reagan underwent a twelve-day hospitalization following the incident.
His handling of the situation, characterized by humor and resilience during recovery, contributed to a boost in his popularity.
Gerald Ford (1975)
President Ford narrowly escaped unharmed from two separate assassination attempts by women in California in September 1975, occurring within a mere 17-day period.
George Wallace (1972)
While campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination, George Wallace was shot four times and permanently paralyzed at a shopping mall in Laurel, Maryland.
The assassination attempt on Wallace, known for his segregationist views and populist appeal, underscored the political tensions and domestic unrest during the Vietnam War era in the United States.
Robert F. Kennedy (1968)
Robert Kennedy, campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination, was fatally shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California.
His assassination deeply influenced the 1968 presidential race and occurred amidst heightened political turmoil following the recent killing of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
These events intensified the unrest of the late 1960s in the United States.
John F. Kennedy (1963)
President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas while riding in his motorcade with his wife Jackie. Lee Harvey Oswald was identified as the perpetrator, and the Warren Commission concluded in 1964 that Oswald, a former Marine with ties to the Soviet Union, had acted alone.
The death of JFK is widely viewed as marking the beginning of a more tumultuous era in U.S. politics and society. Against the backdrop of the Vietnam War buildup and the civil rights movement, many Americans believe his assassination heralded a period of increased violence and social upheaval.
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933)
As president-elect, FDR survived an assassination attempt in Miami, Florida, where he emerged unharmed. However, Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak tragically lost his life in the attack.
Theodore Roosevelt (1912)
Similar to former President Donald Trump assassination attempt, Teddy Roosevelt was campaigning for the White House as a former President when he was shot in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Remarkably, the bullet, slowed by a folded 50-page speech and a steel eyeglass case in his breast pocket, remained lodged in his chest for the remainder of his life.
Despite being shot, Roosevelt famously decided to proceed with his scheduled speech.
William McKinley (1901)
President McKinley was shot and killed by anarchist Leon Czolgosz in Buffalo, New York.
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Abraham Lincoln (1865)
Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a prominent actor and sympathizer of the Confederacy, while attending the play “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theater in Washington.
Booth’s assassination of Lincoln, occurring just days after the Confederate surrender in the Civil War, was part of a broader conspiracy that also targeted Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William Seward.
