Sara Jane Moore, the individual who attempted to assassinate US President Gerald Ford in 1975, has died at the age of 95. Her passing was reported by US media outlets. Moore, who had been sentenced to life in prison but was later paroled, fired a handgun at President Ford outside a San Francisco hotel. Fortunately, Ford was unharmed by the shot.
Moore’s assassination attempt took place just 17 days after Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a follower of cult leader Charles Manson, also aimed a firearm at President Ford but did not fire. Moore’s own action, she claimed, was intended to ignite an American revolution during a period of significant social upheaval in the 1960s and 70s.
The incident occurred on September 22, 1975. Moore had purchased the .38-caliber revolver just hours before the attack. After her initial shot missed, a former US Marine in the crowd managed to subdue her, preventing her from firing a second time. She had been arrested the previous day with a gun, which was confiscated, prompting her to acquire a replacement.
A mother of four, Moore pleaded guilty and received a life sentence. She served 32 years before her release on parole. In a 2009 interview, Moore reflected on the era, stating, “It was a time that people don’t remember. You know we had a war… the Vietnam War, you became, I became immersed in it. We were saying the country needed to change.” She added, “The only way it was going to change was a violent revolution. I genuinely thought that [shooting Ford] might trigger that new revolution in this country.” Investigators at the time found no links to revolutionary groups and deemed her legally sane.
Moore’s death comes shortly after the 50th anniversary of her assassination attempt and amidst renewed public focus on presidential security, particularly following recent attempts on President Donald Trump’s life. Notably, Ryan Routh was recently convicted of attempting to assassinate Trump at a Florida golf course last September.