William McKinley's assassination was on September 6, 1901, at the Temple of Music in Buffalo, New York, but died six days later. His assassin was Leon Czolgosz. McKinley and his wife arrived at The Expostition September 5th and had planned private receptions and a military review and a speech by McKinley that day. The 6th, MicKinley went to Niagra Falls and then returned back to The Exposition for a public reception. Ironicly, his secretary George Cortelyou did not like McKinley doing public receptions, he said they were security risks. The Secret Service, Buffalo detectives and a squad of eleven Army servicemen were at the event to watch out for McKinley. McKinley stood and shook hands with people waiting in a line. In that line was McKinley's assassin.When Czolgosz got to the front of the line he held out his 'bandaged' hand to shake McKinley's. Before their hands met, Czolgosz pulled the trigger twice. James Parker immediatly punched Czolgosz in the face and knocked the gun out of his hand. Private Francis O'Brian picked up the gun.
Eleven minutes after the shooting, McKinley was rushed in an ambulance to a hospital. One bullet had deflected off his ribs and the second bullet hit McKinley in the abdomen, passed all the way through his stomach, hit the kidney, damaged his pancreas, and was lodged somewhere in his back muscles. The doctors couldn't find the bullet that was in his back muscles, so they left it in and closed up his body. While McKinley was still unconscious they transported him to John Milburn's home to recover."I killed President McKinley because I done my duty. I didn't believe one man should have so much service and another man should have none." This is what Czolgosz said the day after the shooting, it's really quite inrtiguing. McKinley was recovering well and doctors thought he would make an excellent recovery. September 12th was when McKinley ate his first solid meal, he ate very little. During the afternoon of the 12th, his condition begin to get worse. The 13th, was evn worse. He had experienced headaches, nausea and his pulse rate went up. McKinley died on September 14 at 2:15 a.m. by infection and gangrene.
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