20 Notable Figures Who Lost Their Lives to Guns

Guns have played a tragic role in the deaths of many notable figures throughout history. In the U.S. alone, the impact of gun violence is staggering. 

In 2021, the most recent year for which complete data is available, 48,830 people lost their lives to gun-related injuries, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of these deaths, 54% were suicides while 43% were murders.¹

This tragic fact illustrates how deeply gun violence affects people, as seen in the lives of well-known individuals who have been its victims.

1. Abraham Lincoln

• Date of death: April 15, 1865
• Assassin: John Wilkes Booth
• Weapon: A .44-caliber Derringer pistol

Lincoln was shot by actor John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1865, and succumbed to his injuries the following day.

2. John Wilkes Booth

• Date of death: April 26, 1865
• Weapon: Colt Model 1860 Army revolver (used against him)

Booth, Lincoln’s assassin, was shot by Union soldier Boston Corbett 12 days after Lincoln’s assassination. He was hiding in a barn in Virginia when he was fatally shot.

3. John Lennon

• Date of death: December 8, 1980
• Assassin: Mark David Chapman
• Weapon: Charter Arms .38 Special revolver

Lennon, a former member of The Beatles, was shot outside his residence, The Dakota, in New York City by Chapman. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.

4. John F. Kennedy

• Date of death: November 22, 1963
• Assassin: Lee Harvey Oswald (allegedly)
• Weapon: Carcano M91/38 bolt-action rifle

Kennedy was shot while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. He was hit by two bullets, one in the back and one fatal shot to the head.

5. Lee Harvey Oswald

• Date of death: November 24, 1963
• Assassin: Jack Ruby
• Weapon: Colt Cobra .38 Special revolver

Oswald, the alleged assassin of President John F. Kennedy, was shot by nightclub owner Jack Ruby in the basement of the Dallas police headquarters, just two days after Kennedy’s assassination.

6. Shinzo Abe

• Date of death: July 8, 2022
• Assassin: Tetsuya Yamagami
• Weapon: Homemade gun (double-barreled)

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot while giving a campaign speech in Nara, Japan. The homemade firearm used by the shooter highlighted Japan’s stringent gun control laws.

7. Martin Luther King Jr.

• Date of death: April 4, 1968
• Assassin: James Earl Ray
• Weapon: Remington 760 Gamemaster rifle (.30-06 caliber)

Civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was fatally wounded in the neck.

8. Malcolm X

• Date of death: February 21, 1965
• Assassins: Several Nation of Islam members
• Weapons: A sawed-off shotgun and handguns

Malcolm X, a prominent figure in the civil rights movement, was shot multiple times while speaking at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City. Multiple assailants participated in the attack.

9. Tupac Shakur

• Date of death: September 13, 1996
• Assassin: Unknown (case unsolved at the time)
• Weapon: .40-caliber Glock

Tupac Shakur, the iconic rapper, was shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 7, 1996. He succumbed to his injuries six days later. The case remains officially unsolved.

10. Brandon Lee

• Date of death: March 31, 1993
• Incident: Accidental shooting
• Weapon: .44 Magnum revolver (prop gun with live round)

Brandon Lee, the actor and son of martial artist Bruce Lee, was accidentally shot while filming the movie The Crow. A prop gun that was supposed to contain blanks had a live round lodged in the barrel, causing fatal injuries during a scene.

11. James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray

• Date of Death: January 23, 1570.
• Cause: Assassination
• Assassin: Catholic zealot named James Hamilton
• Weapon: Matchlock carbine

James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, was a key figure in 16th-century Scottish history. He was a prominent leader in the Scottish Reformation and served as the Regent of Scotland for his half-sister, Mary, Queen of Scots. While Moray was riding in a procession along the main street below, Hamilton shot him fatally with a carbine from a window of his uncle Archbishop Hamilton’s house.

12. Kerry Von Erich

• Date of death: February 18, 1993
• Cause: Suicide
• Weapon: .44 Magnum revolver

Kerry Von Erich, a professional wrestler and member of the famed Von Erich wrestling family, tragically took his own life by shooting himself in the chest at his Texas home. His death was a result of long-term struggles with personal issues and physical injuries.

13. Mikhail Lermontov

• Date of death: July 27, 1841
• Cause: Duel
• Weapon: Flintlock pistol

Mikhail Lermontov, a Russian Romantic poet and writer, was killed in a duel near Pyatigorsk, Russia. He was shot by his former friend Nikolai Martynov during a quarrel. The specific model of the pistol used is unclear but likely a flintlock, common in duels of that era.

14. Andrés Escobar

• Date of death: July 2, 1994
• Assassin: Humberto Muñoz Castro
• Weapon: .38-caliber pistol

Andrés Escobar, a Colombian soccer player, was shot and killed in Medellín, Colombia, just days after scoring an own goal during the 1994 FIFA World Cup. His death was believed to be a retaliatory act linked to Colombia’s powerful drug cartels.

15. Don Cornelius

• Date of death: February 1, 2012
• Cause: Suicide
• Weapon: .38-caliber revolver

Don Cornelius, creator and host of Soul Train, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home in Los Angeles, California. He had been suffering from health problems and personal struggles prior to his death.

16. John McCarthy Roll

• Date of death: January 8, 2011
• Assassin: Jared Lee Loughner
• Weapon: Glock 19 9mm semi-automatic pistol

John McCarthy Roll, a U.S. District Court judge, was shot and killed during the 2011 Tucson shooting, which targeted Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Roll was one of six victims who died in the mass shooting.

17. Vanessa Marquez

• Date of death: August 30, 2018
• Incident: Police-involved shooting
• Weapon: Police-issued firearm (specific model not publicly disclosed)

Actress Vanessa Marquez, known for her role on ER, was shot and killed by police during a wellness check at her home in South Pasadena, California. Police opened fire after she allegedly pointed a BB gun that they believed to be a real weapon.

18. Manfred von Richthofen (The Red Baron)

• Date of death: April 21, 1918
• Assassin: Australian anti-aircraft gunner (debated)
• Weapon: .303-caliber Lewis machine gun (believed)

Manfred von Richthofen, also known as the Red Baron, was a famous World War I German fighter pilot. He was shot down over France, with conflicting accounts regarding whether ground fire or another pilot brought him down. The .303-caliber bullet that hit him was likely from an Australian anti-aircraft machine gun.

19. Rebecca Schaeffer

• Date of death: July 18, 1989
• Assassin: Robert John Bardo
• Weapon: .357 Magnum handgun

Rebecca Schaeffer, an actress known for her role on My Sister Sam, was shot at the doorstep of her Los Angeles apartment by an obsessed fan, Robert Bardo. Bardo had stalked Schaeffer for years before carrying out the fatal shooting.

20. The Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace)

• Date of death: March 9, 1997
• Assassin: Unknown (case unsolved)
• Weapon: 9mm blue steel pistol

The Notorious B.I.G., also known as Biggie Smalls, was shot in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles, California. The gunman opened fire on Biggie’s vehicle, killing him instantly. The case remains unsolved, though many theories have been proposed regarding the motive.

Source:

1. Pew Research Center