Study Says Assassins Not Always Political

Contrary to popular belief, most American assassins and would-be assassins are not necessarily motivated by deep political convictions. Nor do most of them suffer from serious mental ailments, a new study reports. Instead, says the study by the U.S. Secret Service, they embark on assassination schemes “to achieve notoriety or fame, to bring attention to a personal or public problem, to avenge a perceived wrong, to end personal pain, to save the country or the world, to develop a special relationship with the target or to make money.” The five-year study, intended to help Secret Service agents and police ferret out potential political assassins, examined the lives of all 83 people who attempted lethal attacks on U.S. political figures or celebrities during the last 50 years.