Almost 75 years ago, President Harry Truman was target of assassination attempt

Almost 75 years ago, President Harry Truman was the target of an assassination attempt.

KSHB 41 anchor Lindsay Shively visited the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum to learn more about what happened on that day in November 1950.

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Kurt Graham, museum director, said while the White House was being renovated, Truman was living across the street at Blair House in Washington, D.C.

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“So he's lying down in his room taking a nap, when all of a sudden, there's a bunch of gunfire out in the street," Graham said. "There were 27 rounds fired in less than two minutes.

"The president hears that, he comes to the window, everybody's doing, 'get back in, get back in,' and we find out later that this was an actual assassination attempt on Truman; they were coming to kill the president of the United States."

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Truman was not injured. One of the gunmen and a White House police officer died.

Security was heightened for Truman after the attempt.

“It was very unsettling and very odd to think this is right across the street from the White House and you’ve got 27 rounds being exchanged in two minutes,” Graham said.

The National Archives shared more about what happened. Click here to read more.

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