Gerald Ford assassination attempt in Sacramento facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gerald Ford assassination attempt in Sacramento |
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Ford being rushed by U.S. Secret Service from the site of the 1975 attempt on his life in Sacramento, California
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| Location | Capitol Park, south of 1121 L Street, Sacramento, California |
| Coordinates | 38°34′29″N 121°29′21″W / 38.574743°N 121.489252°W |
| Date | September 5, 1975 ~10:04 am (PST) |
| Target | Gerald Ford, 38th President of the United States |
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Attack type
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Attempted political assassination via shooting |
| Weapons | Colt M1911 .45 cal. semi-automatic pistol |
| Deaths | None |
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Non-fatal injuries
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None |
| Assailant | Lynette Fromme |
| Participant | One |
| Defender | Larry Buendorf, Secret Service agent |
| Motive | To set an example to those refusing to halt environmental pollution and its effects on Air, Trees, Water, and Animals (ATWA) |
On September 5, 1975, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, a cult member of Charles Manson's Manson Family, attempted to assassinate United States President Gerald Ford in Sacramento, California.
Fromme wanted to make a statement to people who did not want to stop environmental pollution. Although Fromme stood a little more than an arm's length from Ford that Friday morning and pointed a M1911 pistol at him, her gun failed to fire and no one was injured.
After the assassination attempt, Ford continued to walk to the California state house, where he met with Jerry Brown. For her crime, Fromme spent 34 years in prison and was released on August 14, 2009 – two years after Ford's death.
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, later received the M1911 pistol used in the assassination attempt as a gift, and the gun was put on display.
Images for kids
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Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme in 1965.
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Ford's presidential daily diary for September 5, 1975
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The East Entrance of the California State Capitol looking north with the Hotel Senator in the background.
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Ford at McClellan Air Force Base waiting to leave Sacramento for the White House (3:10 pm. PDT)
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Ford arrives at the White House on September 5, 1975, around 10:50 p.m. (around 7:50 pm. PDT)
