Assassination Attempt on President Harry S. Truman

On November 1, 1950, President Harry S. Truman was the target of an assassination attempt by two Puerto Rican nationalists, Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola. At the time, Truman was staying at Blair House, the temporary presidential residence while the White House was undergoing renovations. The attackers aimed to draw attention to the Puerto Rican independence movement by killing the president. Armed with handguns, Collazo and Torresola approached Blair House with the intention of storming it. A fierce gunfight ensued with Secret Service agents and police officers guarding the residence.

Torresola was able to critically wound a White House police officer, Leslie Coffelt, who, despite his injuries, returned fire and killed Torresola. Collazo was wounded and apprehended before he could enter the residence. President Truman, who was napping upstairs at the time, was unharmed but came to a window to see what was happening before being pulled back by security. The attack underscored the need for increased security measures for the president, leading to a reassessment of protective protocols. Collazo was sentenced to death, but Truman later commuted his sentence to life imprisonment.

Sources:

1. Miller Center, University of Virginia. "Harry S. Truman: Assassination Attempt." Miller Center. https://millercenter.org/president/truman/assassination-attempt
2. History.com Editors. "Truman assassination attempt foiled." History.com. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/truman-assassination-attempt-foiled