You said McKinley, right? Because the shot was fired by Leon Czolgosz on this day 106 years ago. Society wanted to label Leon an anarchist, creating a real shitstorm for other political radicals at the time, and while he did have radical political convictions, one also gets the impression he was a troubled youth - a ‘wanna be anarchist’ if you will. Classic example of violent, ‘black clad faction’ that tend to give the entire movement a bad name.

If McKinley seems less remembered than Lincoln or Kennedy, it may be because he wasn’t as dynamic an individual. I was tempted to use the word charismatic just then, but Lincoln suffered from depression, by all accounts was a somber chap, though obviously a noble and brilliant orator. Perhaps a chance to fuck Marylin Monroe would have put a smile on his face as well… Anyway, it was also a week after the shooting before McKinley succumbed to his wounds. And into office came Theodore Roosevelt, a more macho and bold leader - the type Americans love to remember.
As for lessons to be learned from troubled Leon: proof that no matter how inconceivable it may seem, within two months of moving to a new town, you could be cooking in the electric chair. And never underestimate the hateful mob - his corpse wasn’t allowed to leave the prison grounds and was mutilated with chemicals during the burial. Most importantly of all: dashing acts of violence almost never result in positive societal change!