Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump gestures as he is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa.
| Photo Credit: AP

 Shots were fired during a rally speech by Donald Trump, in an incident that investigators are treating as a possible assassination attempt on the former President.

Including Abraham Lincoln and JFK, here are some notable examples of shootings involving U.S. Presidents or presidential candidates:

Donald Trump shooting LIVE updates July 14, 2024

Ronald Reagan (1981)

President Reagan was shot and seriously wounded as he left an event at the Hilton hotel in Washington. The attacker was John Hinckley Jr, who was granted unconditional release in 2022.

Reagan spent twelve days in the hospital. The incident boosted Reagan’s popularity, as he displayed humor and resilience during his recovery.

Gerald Ford (1975)

President Ford was left unscathed in two separate assassination attempts by women in September 1975, both in California and within a span of just 17 days.

George Wallace (1972)

While campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination, Wallace was shot four times and paralyzed for life at a shopping mall in Laurel, Maryland.

The assassination attempt on Wallace, who was known for his segregationist views and populist appeal, highlighted the ongoing political tensions in the US and potential for domestic violence in the Vietnam war era.

Robert F. Kennedy (1968)

President John F. Kennedy’s brother Robert, who was running for the Democratic presidential nomination, was shot and killed at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

The assassination had a profound impact on the 1968 presidential race and occurred just two months after the killing of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, adding to the political turmoil of the late 1960s.

John F. Kennedy (1963)

Riding in his motorcade with his wife Jackie, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas by Lee Harvey Oswald.

The Warren Commission investigating the assassination concluded in 1964 that Lee Harvey Oswald, a former marine who had lived in the Soviet Union, had acted alone.

Many Americans believe the death of JFK began a more violent period in US politics and society, with the Vietnam War build up and the civil rights struggle as a backdrop.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933)

As president-elect, FDR was the target of an assassination attempt in Miami, Florida. He was unharmed, but Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak was killed in the attack.

Theodore Roosevelt (1912)

Like Trump, Teddy Roosevelt was running for the White House as a former President when he was shot in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The bullet, which remained lodged in his chest for the rest of his life, was slowed by the folded 50-page speech and steel eyeglass case in his breast pocket.

Famously, Roosevelt decided to deliver his scheduled speech despite being shot.

William McKinley (1901)

President McKinley was shot and killed by anarchist Leon Czolgosz in Buffalo, New York.

Abraham Lincoln (1865)

Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a well-known actor and Confederate sympathizer, while watching a play called “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theater in Washington.

Booth’s attack, just days after the Confederate surrender in the Civil War, was part of a larger plot that included attempts to assassinate Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William Seward.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents as he is helped off the stage at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa. on July 13, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 14 joined world leaders in condemning the assassination attempt that targeted former U.S. President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania. Mr. Trump was addressing a campaign rally at Butler Country when a shooter perched on a nearby rooftop fired several gunshots that left one person dead and several injured. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has also condemned the attack on Mr. Trump.

Donald Trump shooting LIVE updates July 14, 2024

“Deeply concerned by the attack on my friend, former President Donald Trump. Strongly condemn the incident. Violence has no place in politics and democracies. Wish him speedy recovery. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the deceased, those injured and the American people,” said Prime Minister Modi.

Rahul Gandhi wished President Trump a “swift and complete recovery” and said, “I am deeply concerned by the assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump. Such acts must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.” 

Condemning the incident, President Joe Biden said, “There is no place for this kind of violence in America.” Former U.S. President Barack Obama also commented on the alarming development that came in the backdrop of a bitter political campaign.

“There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy. Although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics,” said President Obama.

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has also responded to the attack on former President Trump and said, “I’m sickened by the shooting at former President Trump. It cannot be overstated — political violence is never acceptable. My thoughts are with former President Trump, those at the event, and all Americans.”

Meanwhile, U.K.’s newly elected Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned the incident saying, “Political violence in any form has no place in our societies, and my thoughts are with all the victims of this attack.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he was “shocked by the apparent attack on President Trump.”

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she was “following with apprehension” updates from Pennsylvania and wished Trump a speedy recovery.

The right-wing leader expressed her hope that “in the following months of the electoral campaign, dialogue and responsibility can prevail over hate and violence.”

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also spoke out against political attacks, saying “We must stand firm against any form of violence that challenges democracy.”

Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te offered his “sincere condolences” to the shooting victims.

“Political violence of any form is never acceptable in our democracies,” he said.

Australia’s Anthony Albanese said he was “shocked by the terrible scenes” at the Trump campaign event, expressing his relief that the former U.S. president was safe.

“This was an inexcusable attack on the democratic values that Australians and Americans share and the freedom that we treasure,” Mr. Albanese said.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Chris Luxon echoed these views, writing “no country should encounter such political violence.”

(With AFP inputs)