On this day, Nov. 1, in 1950, U.S. Secret Service officer Leslie Coffelt was killed in an exchange of gunfire in front of the Blair House when two Puerto Rican Nationalists attempted to assassinate President Truman. Griselio Torresola and Oscar Collazo wanted to take down Truman to bring attention to their country’s fight for independence. Truman was an odd target because he supported greater autonomy for the Caribbean country.
Torresola approached White House police officer Leslie Coffelt in the guardhouse and shot him three times. While Torresola turned his weapon on another officer, Coffelt staggered and killed Torresola with a shot to the head. Coffelt, a former D.C. police officer, died that day.
Collazo was shot and arrested.
Truman commuted Collazo’s death sentence to life imprisonment. Collazo died in 1994.
— Scott McCabe
