Sara Jane Moore, would-be Ford assassin, dies at 95
Moore's death adds to renewed focus on presidential security after two threats against President Trump
Sara Jane Moore, the California woman who fired a handgun at President Gerald Ford during a 1975 visit to San Francisco, has died at age 95, according to multiple U.S. media reports.
Moore fired a .38-caliber revolver she had purchased hours earlier outside the Fairmont Hotel as Ford greeted supporters; the president was not injured. A former Marine standing nearby in the crowd subdued her, preventing a second shot. Security officials had confiscated her first firearm the day before after spotting her with a weapon, prompting her to buy another.
Moore pleaded guilty to a single count of attempted murder and was sentenced to life in prison. She served 32 years before being released on parole.
Her attack occurred just 17 days after Lynette Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson, pointed a gun at Ford but did not fire.
Investigators found no links to revolutionary groups and ruled her legally sane.
Across the country, security questions are again in the spotlight after two attempts on President Donald Trump’s life. On Tuesday, Ryan Routh was found guilty of attempting to assassinate Trump on a Florida golf course in September last year. He will be sentenced on 18 December and faces up to life in prison.
Moore’s death comes just days after the 50th anniversary of her attempt.