Who Shot Abraham Lincoln

On April 14, 1865, while President Abraham Lincoln attended a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC, he was fatally shot by actor John Wilkes Booth. Booth was a Confederate sympathizer and vocal opponent of Lincoln and the Union, and he planned and executed his assassination as a means to help the Confederacy.

Booth was born in 1838 in Maryland to a family of stage actors. He was a successful stage actor, becoming very popular in his own right. Booth made several attempts to kidnap Lincoln, but failed and resorted to assassination.

On April 14, 1865, Lincoln attended a play at Ford’s Theatre with his wife and two guests. During the third act of the play, Booth snuck into the Presiden’ts box and shot the president in the back of the head. Booth then jumped on to the stage and escaped out of the back door. He was eventually cornered and shot in a burning barn in Virginia, becoming the only presidential assassin to be killed at the scene of his crime.

Booth was an extremist and believed that the only way to save the Confederacy was through violent action. His actions caused outrage and shock among the people of the United States. It is believed that he had accomplices during his escape, and though many names were thrown around no one was ever brought to justice. The official investigation of Lincoln’s assassination ended in 1867, with many questions left unanswered.

To this day, Lincoln’s assassination continues to be a source of fascination and speculation. Who shot Abraham Lincoln remains a mystery, though many consider John Wilkes Booth to be the prime suspect.