Illinois' deep history of political violence
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John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, escaping from Ford's Theatre in April 1865. Illustration: MPI/Getty Images
The country is reeling from the assassination attempt on former President Trump.
Driving the news: Officials and lawmakers have condemned political violence, saying it has no place in America.
Yes, but: Political historians would tell you that assassination attempts are sadly far too familiar in American history.
Zoom in: In Illinois, political violence has plagued the state's history, including the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln and Chicagoan Jack Ruby shooting of President John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.
Here are three acts of political violence that shaped Illinois history:
President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt & Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak, 1933
In 1933, President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a speech in Miami. Before leaving, he met with Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak. During that brief exchange, a gunman shot at Roosevelt five times.
- Roosevelt was unscathed, but Cermak was shot in the chest and died at a nearby hospital 19 days later.
- It was reported at the time by the Chicago Tribune that while Cermak was in the hospital, he told Roosevelt "I'm glad it was me instead of you."
Chicago Mayor Carter Harrison, 1893
On Oct. 28, 1893, just days into Mayor Carter Harrison's fifth term, a gunman entered the mayor's house on South Ashland Avenue and shot him three times at point-blank range, killing him.
- The shooter, Patrick Prendergast, told police he was upset with the mayor after being passed over for a city appointment.
- The assassination happened on the final days of the World's Columbian Exposition, which had been a huge success in showcasing Chicago's return from the fire in 1871.
- In 1897, Harrison's son was elected mayor.
President Ronald Reagan, 1981
The assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan is well known in Illinois for who else was injured: James Brady.
- Brady was born in central Illinois, attended the University of Illinois, and worked for Illinois Republicans, including Sen. Everett Dirksen.
Flashback: In 1981, Brady was Reagan's press secretary and was with the president when John Hinckley Jr. opened fire.
- Brady was shot above his left eye.
- First reports said he was killed. Brady survived but was in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
The intrigue: A few years later, he was instrumental in passing the "Brady Bill," which mandated federal background checks on firearm purchasers. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton in 1996.
- He died in 2014. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide, blaming the shooting from 1981.