What Actually Happened To Famous Assassins

The Scene: Washington, DC, April 14, 1865 

The Assassin: John Wilkes Booth, a well-known stage actor

What Went Down: While President Abraham Lincoln watched a play at Ford's Theater, Booth fired at him point-blank in the back of the head.

The Aftermath: After breaking his leg while trying to escape, Booth fled on horseback with his accomplice, David Herold. The two stopped at Dr. Samuel Mudd's home to splint Booth's broken leg just as federal troops began to track them down. 

After getting help from other Confederate sympathizers, the two managed to hide for 12 days until they were hunted down on a tobacco farm. Herold surrendered and came out of the barn, but Booth refused, so Union troops set the barn on fire. When Booth finally ran out of the burning building, Union soldier Boston Corbett fired at his neck, and Booth expired two hours later.

The Scene: New Delhi, India, January 30, 1948 

The Assassin: Nathuram Godse, a Hindu extremist

What Went Down: On the way to a prayer meeting, Mahatma Gandhi was walking when Godse emerged from the crowd and fired at Gandhi three times in the stomach and chest. 

The Aftermath: Crowd members held Godse and detained him at the scene. Godse said he targeted Gandhi because of Gandhi's tolerance toward Muslims. He was given the death sentence, but Gandhi's sons argued on Godse's behalf, saying their father did not believe in such punishment. The court would not listen to their pleas, and Godse was hanged on November 15, 1949.

The Scene: Manhattan, NY, December 8, 1980 

The Assassin: Mark David Chapman, an unemployed security guard from Hawaii

What Went Down: Chapman fired at musician and former Beatle John Lennon, who was with his wife, Yoko Ono, four times at close range outside Lennon's Upper West Side apartment. 

The Aftermath: After shooting Lennon, Chapman remained on the scene and read The Catcher in the Rye. A born-again Christian, he pleaded guilty, stating he didn't slay Lennon because he was a fanatic, but because of Lennon's un-Christian lifestyle. He was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.

In September 2020, Chapman was denied parole for the 11th time. He recently stated that he really targeted Lennon because he was jealous of his life.

The Scene: Washington, DC, July 2, 1881 

The Assassin: Charles Guiteau, a mentally ill lawyer and fanatic supporter of the Republican Party

What Went Down: When newly inaugurated President James Garfield boarded a train, Guiteau fired at Garfield's back twice. Garfield lived for 79 (painful) days before eventually passing on September 19 in Elberon, NJ, likely due to an infection from unsterilized instruments and unwashed hands. 

The Aftermath: Guiteau anticipated the death penalty and was ready to live in infamy. He even chose his pistol based on what he thought would look the best in an exhibit on the president’s slaying. 

Guiteau's trial lived up to his hope. It grabbed the nation's attention and was one of the first defenses to argue whether someone who cannot decipher right from wrong can be found guilty. Ultimately, Guiteau was found guilty and hanged on June 30, 1882.

Scientists wanted to see if Guiteau's brain showed any signs of sociopathy. After removing his brain, they found that, surprisingly, his brain did show signs of advanced syphilis. At the time, they thought this could cause insanity. (Today it's believed Guiteau suffered from schizophrenia.) The remains of Guiteau's brain are held at the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia.

The Scene: Washington, DC, March 30, 1981

The Assassin: John Hinckley Jr., an unemployed man from a wealthy family who tracked actress Jodie Foster

What Went Down: Hinckley attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan and three others outside the Washington Hilton Hotel.

The Aftermath: Hinckley was taken into custody at the scene, claiming he wanted to finish off Reagan to impress Foster, whom he had become obsessed with after watching her in Taxi Driver (which, not incidentally, is about a character trying to finish off a senator). 

Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 1982. After residing in a mental hospital, he was officially released (with some conditions) in 2018 and had been volunteering at a church.

A judge announced on June 1, 2022, that as of June 15, 2022, Hinckley would be fully released from all conditions. Hinckley tweeted on June 1: “A big thank you to everyone who helped me get my unconditional release. What a long strange trip it has been. Now it’s time to rock and roll.” A singer and guitarist, Hinckley has planned a musical career, including a concert scheduled in Brooklyn in July 2022. 

The Scene: Los Angeles, CA, June 5, 1968

The Assassin: Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian-Christian militant who opposed Sen. Robert Kennedy's support of Israel

What Went Down: Presidential hopeful Robert Kennedy had just won California's presidential primary. As Kennedy exited a ballroom of the Ambassador Hotel, Sirhan approached him and fired several shots at him nearly point-blank. Kennedy passed on June 6, 1968.

The Aftermath: Two well-known athletes, Rafer Johnson and Roosevelt Grier, wrestled Sirhan to the ground, though Sirhan injured five bystanders in the process. He received the death penalty on March 3, 1969, but his sentence was changed to life in prison when California did away with capital punishment in 1972. 

In 2019, Sirhan was stabbed by a fellow inmate, but survived. 

On August 27, 2021, 53 years into his prison sentence, Sirhan was recommended for parole by the California Parole Board after his 16th try. Two of Kennedy's sons, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Douglas Kennedy, said they supported his release. The decision is not final; California Gov. Gavin Newsom can reject or approve the recommendation.