Sara Jane Moore, who was imprisoned for more than 30 years after she made an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975, has died at the age of 95. Moore's passing was confirmed by Demetria Kalodimos, a longtime acquaintance, who shared that Moore passed away in a Nashville nursing home.
Moore gained national notoriety as a political radical when she shot at Ford in San Francisco, an act that highlighted the turmoil of the mid-1970s in America and the rise of various radical movements. At that time, she was an unlikely figure in the landscape of political violence—an ordinary middle-aged woman who had begun associating with leftist groups and had even served as an informant for the FBI.
Moore was sentenced to life imprisonment after the attack, but she was paroled in 2007, with federal officials offering no explanation for her early release. Following her release, she lived largely in anonymity, occasionally expressing remorse for her actions. In a 2009 interview, she remarked, I had put blinders on, I really had, claiming her political beliefs at the time motivated her violence.
Moore's attempt on Ford's life is often confused with another attempt by Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson, who also aimed a weapon at the president shortly before Moore's attack. On September 22, 1975, Moore fired at Ford as he waved to a crowd, but the shot missed after a former Marine intervened.
Years later, Moore expressed regret for her actions. In interviews, she admitted, I’m very sorry that it happened. ... I’m very happy that I did not succeed. Moore's troubled past included a series of tumultuous relationships and a complicated background that baffles even those who represented her.
Politically, Moore's motivations were complex; she believed the government was declaring war on the left, which pushed her towards drastic measures.
Ford, who became the president following Richard Nixon’s resignation, maintained that despite the attempts on his life, contact and dialogue with the public were crucial for a functioning society. He passed away in 2006, just a year before Moore's release.
Moore was born as Sara Jane Kahn in West Virginia in 1930 and had been involved in various political movements throughout her life, including working for a free food organization linked to the kidnapping of newspaper heir Patty Hearst. By the time she shot at Ford, she claimed to feel cornered and acted out of desperation.
Reflecting on her actions long after they occurred, Moore acknowledged the radical ideologies that propelled her, admitting that her understanding was clouded by a fervent belief in the movements she aligned with. Her life remains a complex narrative of regret, political activism, and the quest for understanding amidst chaos.
Moore gained national notoriety as a political radical when she shot at Ford in San Francisco, an act that highlighted the turmoil of the mid-1970s in America and the rise of various radical movements. At that time, she was an unlikely figure in the landscape of political violence—an ordinary middle-aged woman who had begun associating with leftist groups and had even served as an informant for the FBI.
Moore was sentenced to life imprisonment after the attack, but she was paroled in 2007, with federal officials offering no explanation for her early release. Following her release, she lived largely in anonymity, occasionally expressing remorse for her actions. In a 2009 interview, she remarked, I had put blinders on, I really had, claiming her political beliefs at the time motivated her violence.
Moore's attempt on Ford's life is often confused with another attempt by Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson, who also aimed a weapon at the president shortly before Moore's attack. On September 22, 1975, Moore fired at Ford as he waved to a crowd, but the shot missed after a former Marine intervened.
Years later, Moore expressed regret for her actions. In interviews, she admitted, I’m very sorry that it happened. ... I’m very happy that I did not succeed. Moore's troubled past included a series of tumultuous relationships and a complicated background that baffles even those who represented her.
Politically, Moore's motivations were complex; she believed the government was declaring war on the left, which pushed her towards drastic measures.
Ford, who became the president following Richard Nixon’s resignation, maintained that despite the attempts on his life, contact and dialogue with the public were crucial for a functioning society. He passed away in 2006, just a year before Moore's release.
Moore was born as Sara Jane Kahn in West Virginia in 1930 and had been involved in various political movements throughout her life, including working for a free food organization linked to the kidnapping of newspaper heir Patty Hearst. By the time she shot at Ford, she claimed to feel cornered and acted out of desperation.
Reflecting on her actions long after they occurred, Moore acknowledged the radical ideologies that propelled her, admitting that her understanding was clouded by a fervent belief in the movements she aligned with. Her life remains a complex narrative of regret, political activism, and the quest for understanding amidst chaos.
