TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The recent shooting of former U.S. President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024, is a stark reminder of the perilous history of violence directed at American leaders.

While Trump survived with a gunshot wound to the ear, the incident underscores a disturbing pattern of attacks on presidents and presidential candidates throughout the nation's history. The shooter was a 20-year-old man identified as a member of the Republican Party.

Four U.S. presidents have tragically lost their lives to assassination: Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy. Beyond these fatal incidents, numerous other attempts have been made on the lives of presidents and those seeking the office.

The following is a list of U.S. presidents and presidential candidates who have been the targets of gun violence:

1. Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson became the first American president to face an assassination attempt on January 30, 1835. As he exited the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., a man confronted him with a gun but missed. Undeterred, the assailant drew a second weapon, only to fail again. Jackson subdued the attacker with the help of his aides.

2. Abraham Lincoln

The assassination of Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865, marked a pivotal moment in American political history. He became the first victim of presidential assassination after a fatal gunshot wound inflicted by John Wilkes Booth.

His unwavering support for the abolition of slavery is often cited as the primary motive for the murder. Two years earlier, Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring freedom for enslaved people within the Confederacy.

Booth was subsequently tracked down and killed on April 26 while hiding in a barn near Bowling Green, Virginia.

3. James Garfield

James Garfield, the 20th U.S. President, was assassinated on July 2, 1881, just six months into his term. On his way to catch a train to New England, the former Union general and Ohio congressman was fatally shot by disgruntled constituent Charles Guiteau. Severely wounded, he lingered for weeks before succumbing to his injuries in New Jersey. His assassin was executed in June 1882.

4. William McKinley

William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States, was assassinated on September 6, 1901, six months into his second term. While greeting the public in Buffalo, New York, he was fatally shot at close range. Despite initial hopes for recovery, McKinley died eight days later.

5. Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt was shot on October 14, 1912, while campaigning to return to the White House. Miraculously, the bullet was slowed by items in his pocket, causing minimal injuries.

6. Franklin D. Roosevelt

President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) escaped an assassination attempt in Miami, Florida, on February 15, 1933. While riding in an open car, shots were fired, injuring several bystanders including fatally striking Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak. The shooter, an Italian immigrant and unemployed bricklayer Giuseppe Zangara, was convicted and executed.

7. Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman, the 33rd U.S. President of the United States was staying at Blair House, and his wife narrowly escaped an assassination attempt on November 1, 1950, when two armed intruders attempted to break into Blair House. While the President and his wife were unharmed, a White House police officer was killed in the ensuing gunfight.

8. John F. Kennedy

The assassination of the U.S. 35th President John F Kennedy is perhaps the most famous of all time. The 46-year-old president was fatally shot while traveling through Dallas, Texas, in a convertible with his wife Jackie on November 22, 1963. Lee Harvey Oswald who was armed with a high-powered rifle was accused of the assassination.

9. Robert F. Kennedy

Robert F. Kennedy, John F. Kennedy's brother, was assassinated on June 5, 1968, in Los Angeles, California. The 42-year-old US Senator from New York was fatally shot shortly after winning the California Democratic presidential primary. Sirhan Sirhan was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death.

10. George C. Wallace

Alabama Governor George Wallace, a Democratic presidential candidate, was shot and paralyzed from the waist down on May 15, 1972, in Laurel, Maryland. Arthur Bremer, 21, was found guilty of the shooting and sentenced to prison. He was released in 2007.

11. Gerald Ford

The 38th U.S. President Gerald Ford faced two assassination attempts within weeks, escaping unharmed both times. On September 5, 1975, Charles Manson's follower Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme aimed a gun at Ford on the way to a meeting with the California Governor in Sacramento but failed to fire. Seventeen days later, Sara Jane Moore shot at Ford outside a San Francisco hotel, missing and being subdued by a bystander.

12. Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan was shot and wounded while leaving a speech in Washington DC. John Hinckley Jr. who was among the crowd fired six shots, injuring the 40th U.S. President and three others, including Reagan's press secretary, James Brady, who was later partially paralyzed. Despite being wounded, the 70-year-old man was rushed to the hospital and survived.

13. George W. Bush

George W. Bush, the 43rd U.S. President, was targeted when a hand grenade was thrown at them while attending a rally in Tbilisi with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili on May 10, 2005. Protected by a bulletproof barrier, neither man was harmed as the grenade landed unexploded approximately 100 feet away.

SKY NEWS | REUTERS

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