On July 2, 1881, President James A. Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, D.C. The attack was motivated by Guiteau’s delusional belief that his imagined political influence had been spurned by Garfield’s administration. Garfield succumbed to infections related to the bullet wounds more than two months later, highlighting the dire need for advancements in medical practices of the time. His assassination underscored the vulnerability of American presidents and had a lasting impact on the Secret Service’s role in presidential protection.
