Arthur Bremer

Guide Note

On May 15, 1972, Arthur Bremer attempted to assassinate United States Democratic presidential candidate George Wallace following a rally in in Laurel, Maryland.

Fast Facts

1. Full name: Arthur Herman Bremer
2. Birth date: August 21, 1950
3. Originally sentenced to 63 years
4. After appeal, the sentence was reduced to 53 years
5. Bremer was paroled on November 9, 2007 after serving 35 years in jail
6. The character of Travis Bickle in the movie Taxi Driver was based on Arthur Bremer

Using a .38 caliber revolver, Bremer shot Wallace four times: One bullet became lodged in his spinal cord and paralyzed him, while the other four caused minor injuries to his abdomen and chest. A U.S. Secret Service agent, a campaign volunteer and an Alabama State Trooper acting as Wallace's personal bodyguard were also injured in the shooting.

Bremer's original target was Richard Nixon, but after observing the two candidates, he realized that Wallace was much more accessible. His campaign to assassinate a presidential candidate was not motivated by politics, but by Bremer's desire to be famous.

In 1973, part of Bremer's 137-page handwritten diary was published as the book An Assassin's Diary. The first sentence reads: "Now I start my diary of my personal plot to kill by pistol either Richard Nixon or George Wallace."