September 5th, 1975: The day the world was altered.....
49ersfootball
Well-known member
Sacramento: The place where America & the World was forever altered
10:02 AM PST, Friday, September 5th, 1975
CA State Capitol Grounds, Capitol Park, Sacramento, CA
President Ford greeting well-wishers before tragedy strikes....
10:02 AM PST, Friday, September 5th, 1975
CA State Capitol Grounds, Capitol Park, Sacramento, CA
President Ford greeting well-wishers before tragedy strikes....
President Ford had moved out about 150 FT (46 m) from Lincoln Street along a Capitol Park paved walkway, saw "a woman in a brightly colored dress" & stopped approximately halfway to the CA State Capitol. People on either side of Ford wanted to shake hands with him & Ford assumed the woman in red wanted to shake hands or talk. Squeaky was positioned 2 FT (0.61m) from Ford, behind the first row of the crowd, reached into her flowing red robe, drawing the Colt. 45 pistol from her leg holster. Squeaky raised her right arm towards Ford, through the front row of well-wishers & pointed the gun at a height between Ford's knees & waist.
From the perspective of White House Press Secretary Ron Nessen on the incident (who was present when this was happening), he noted the following: "as President Ford stopped, he saw a hand come through the crowd in the first row, and that was the first active gesture that the President saw, but in the hand there was a gun, which let out a yellow-ish blaze coming out."
While Squeaky was pointing the gun at Ford, she was smiling & calmly told the President these haunting words: "CHARLIE SAYS HI MR. PRESIDENT" as she opened fire: BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Almost immediately, the crowd began scattering out in absolute horror while several US Secret Service agents grabbed Squeaky, one of whom slammed her into the ground & handcuffed her. She was happily satisfied with what she had done, "Can you believe it? I did it! I did it! I did it for Charlie and the organization. The gun went off" as she busted out laughing while she was being put into a police vehicle; California State Troopers ran towards the Capitol Park & assisted the US Secret Service in getting everything under control as bystanders were horrified at what had just occurred.
Several of the US Secret Service agents repeatedly tried speaking to the President, who was unconscious inside the ambulance while paramedics worked on him furiously. "Let's get to the hospital" yelled US Secret Service Director H. Stuart Knight as the ambulance accompanied by Secret Service vehicles & other law enforcement officers drove off fast all the way towards Mercy General Hospital.
Last edited: