President Bill Clinton has been the target of several assassination attempts and more than a handful of threatened assassinations. Political historians are questioning whether this is due to the violent times we live in or a statement of how unpopular the president is.
The first assassination attempt took place on September 12, 1994. Frank Eugene Corder, a 38 year old ex-trucker, aimed a stolen single engine plane directly at the White House. For some reason, radar failed to detect the plane as it tumbled to the ground. It hit the White House lawn and Corder died instantly. No one else was injured.
Many security officials could not believe that the plane had made it so close to the White House. It indicated that security around the President was not as great as the public had been lead to believe. The Secret Service immediately offered apologies to the public at large and enacted tighter security restrictions.
CorderΓÇÖs relatives and friends admitted that he had threatened to ram a plane into the White House but no one had taken him seriously. He had recently separated from his wife due to his alcohol and drug abuse.
The second attempt on ClintonΓÇÖs life happened less then two months later on October 29, 1994. Francisco Duran ran up to the White House, took a semiautomatic rifle out of his coat, and started shooting at the White House. Two bystanders wrestled him to the ground as Secret Service agents ran to their aid. No one was injured in this attempt.
Duran had been missing from his Colorado home for over five months. His wife had reported him to the Secret Service saying that he had threatened to kill the President. After he was arrested a note was found saying to divide his possession between his wife and son in the event of his death. Another weapon and over 100 rounds of ammo were found in his truck.
Presently, Duran is in federal custody on charges of attempted murder of the President.
