From JFK to Charlie Kirk: A Troubled History of Political Shootings in the United States

The fatal shooting of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah university on Wednesday adds to a long, tragic history of political violence in the United States. Over the decades, numerous leaders, activists, and elected officials have been targeted.

Here are some of the most notable cases:

— Melissa Hortman (2025) —
Minnesota state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed in June by a gunman who authorities say carried a manifesto and a list of lawmakers and potential targets.

— Donald Trump (2024) —
President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a gunman opened fire, killing one attendee and grazing the president’s ear.
Months later, another man was arrested after a Secret Service agent spotted a rifle barrel protruding from bushes near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach.

— Steve Scalise (2017) —
Republican Representative Steve Scalise was seriously injured when a gunman opened fire on GOP lawmakers during practice for a charity baseball game.

— Gabrielle Giffords (2011) —
Congresswoman Gabby Giffords survived a gunshot wound to the head in an attack that left six people dead, including a federal judge and a member of her staff. Giffords has since become a leading advocate against gun violence.

— Ronald Reagan (1981) —
President Ronald Reagan was shot outside the Hilton hotel in Washington by John Hinckley Jr. Reagan spent twelve days in the hospital but boosted his popularity with his resilience and humor during recovery. Hinckley was granted unconditional release in 2022.

— Harvey Milk (1978) —
San Francisco supervisor and gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay elected officials in the U.S., was assassinated along with Mayor George Moscone by a disgruntled former colleague.

— George Wallace (1972) —
Alabama Governor George Wallace, a segregationist and Democratic presidential candidate, was paralyzed for life after being shot four times while campaigning in Maryland.

— Robert F. Kennedy (1968) —
Senator Robert F. Kennedy, then running for the Democratic presidential nomination, was assassinated at Los Angeles’s Ambassador Hotel. Sirhan Sirhan was convicted and remains imprisoned in California.

— Martin Luther King Jr. (1968) —
Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. James Earl Ray was convicted, though King’s family has questioned whether he was the true killer.

— Malcolm X (1965) —
Civil rights icon Malcolm X was assassinated in New York City in a hail of gunfire, only months after the passage of federal civil rights legislation.

— John F. Kennedy (1963) —
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a Dallas motorcade. Lee Harvey Oswald, a former Marine who had lived in the Soviet Union, was charged with the murder. The Warren Commission later concluded he acted alone.