The Most Notable Assassins in U.S. History
Griselio Torresola and Oscar Collazo, 1950
In an effort to advance the cause of their island's independence, Puerto Rican nationals Griselio Torresola (pictured) and Oscar Collazo, attempted to kill President Harry Truman on November 1, 1950. They approached Blair House — where the president was living while the White House was under renovation — from both sides, prompting a gun battle with White House policemen and Secret Service agents who were guarding the residence. While they wounded three officers, Torresola and Collazo never made it into the building. One officer, Private Leslie Coffelt, shot Torresola in the side of the head, killing him instantly. Coffelt died later that day of injuries sustained in the shootout. For his part, Truman was napping when the gun battle began. He went to the window and saw Collazo on the front steps; a White House guard saw the president and ordered him to get down. Truman obeyed. Collazo was sentenced to death for the assassination attempt. One week before his scheduled execution, President Truman commuted his sentence to life in prison.