| Attempted assassination of Harry S. Truman | |
|---|---|
 Harry S. Truman | |
| Location | Blair House, Washington, D.C., United States |
| Date | November 1, 1950 |
| Target | Harry S. Truman |
Attack type | Attempted assassination, murder, shooting |
| Weapons | Walther P38, Luger pistol |
| Deaths | Leslie Coffelt Griselio Torresola |
| Injured | Donald Birdzell Oscar Collazo Joseph Downs |
| Perpetrators | Oscar Collazo Griselio Torresola |
| Motive | Discontent over the political status of Puerto Rico |
| Verdict | Collazo: Guilty on all counts |
| Convictions | Collazo: First degree murder, assault with intent to kill (2 counts) |
| Sentence | Collazo: Death; commuted to life imprisonment by Truman (released after 29 years) |
| Part of a series on the |
| Puerto Rican Nationalist Party |
|---|
 |
On November 1, 1950, Puerto Rican pro-independence activists Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola attempted to assassinate President Harry S. Truman at the Blair House during the renovation of the White House.[1][2] Both men were stopped before gaining entry to the house. Torresola mortally wounded White House Police officer Leslie Coffelt, who killed him in return fire. Secret Service agents wounded Collazo. Truman was upstairs in the house and not harmed.[3]
Two days before the assassination attempt, Puerto Rican nationalists had attempted to overthrow the government of Puerto Rico. Uprisings occurred in many towns, including Jayuya where the two would-be assassins were born, and where their families still lived. In response, the U.S. Air Force bombed and strafed Jayuya, destroying it, and they bombed the neighboring town of Utuado.[4] In acknowledgement of the issues related to Puerto Rico's status, Truman supported a 1952 plebiscite in Puerto Rico. 81.9% of votes were in favor of Puerto Rico continuing as a Free Associated State of the US.[5] Collazo was convicted in federal court and sentenced to death, which Truman commuted to life in prison. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter commuted the sentence to the time served and Collazo was released.[6]
- ^ Glass, Andrew (November 1, 2017). "Puerto Rican militants try to assassinate Truman, Nov. 1, 1950". Politico. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
- ^ "FAQ: Assassination Attempt on President Truman's Life" Archived May 5, 2019, at the Wayback Machine. Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum (Independence, Missouri). Retrieved April 16, 2019.
- ^ Ayoob, Massad (2006). "Drama at Blair House: the attempted assassination of Harry Truman". American Handgunner (March–April 2006). Retrieved April 1, 2010.
- ^ Denis, Nelson (2015). "Chapter 18: The Revolution". War Against All Puerto Ricans: Revolution and Terror in America's Colony. Bold Type Books. pp. 194–199.
- ^ Hunter, Stephen; Bainbridge, Jr., John (2005). American Gunfight: The Plot To Kill Harry Truman – And The Shoot-Out That Stopped It. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 4, 251. ISBN 978-0-7432-6068-8.
- ^ Denis, Nelson (2015). "Chapter 18: The Revolution". War Against All Puerto Ricans: Revolution and Terror in America's Colony. Bold Type Books. pp. 206–208.