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From the archive: Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme's attempted assassination of Gerald Ford

By David R Arnott
President Gerald Ford is shielded by the Secret Service after an assassination attempt by Lynette
President Gerald Ford is shielded by the Secret Service after an assassination attempt by LynetteThe Sacramento Bee via AP, file
A Sacramento police official holds the 0.45-caliber gun that Lynette Fromme pointed at President Ford.
A Sacramento police official holds the 0.45-caliber gun that Lynette Fromme pointed at President Ford.Police via The Sacramento Bee / AP, file

In video footage made public for the first time on Monday, President Gerald Ford recalls the moment a would-be assassin approached him in a crowded Sacramento park on September 5, 1975:

"It was simply the hand with the weapon in it, at a height between my knee and my waist, approximately," Ford said. He then described a frantic moment when a security agent seized the suspect and Ford was rushed away.

When asked if he saw the face of who was holding the gun, he answered, "No, I did not."

Secret Service agents put handcuffs on Lynette Fromme. The agent holding Fromme at center, wearing dark glasses, is Larry Bruendorf.
Secret Service agents put handcuffs on Lynette Fromme. The agent holding Fromme at center, wearing dark glasses, is Larry Bruendorf.AP, file

Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, a Charles Manson disciple, was arrested and sentenced under a law covering assaults on U.S. presidents. She was released from prison in 2009.

A second woman fired a gun at Ford seventeen days after Fromme's attempt. Again, he was unhurt. He died in 2006 at the age of 93 — having become America's longest-living president.

Read the full story and watch the video of Gerald Ford's testimony.

Secret Service agents lead Lynette Fromme away.
Secret Service agents lead Lynette Fromme away.AP, file
Lynette Fromme looks out from a police car following her arrest.
Lynette Fromme looks out from a police car following her arrest.AP, file
Lynette Fromme sits in an interrogation room shortly after her capture, with an empty holster still strapped to her leg.
Lynette Fromme sits in an interrogation room shortly after her capture, with an empty holster still strapped to her leg.Police via The Sacramento Bee / AP, file
Lynette Fromme arrives at the Federal Court for a hearing in Sacramento on Oct. 21, 1975. Fromme requested the president be required to appear as a defense witness at her trial.
Lynette Fromme arrives at the Federal Court for a hearing in Sacramento on Oct. 21, 1975. Fromme requested the president be required to appear as a defense witness at her trial.AP, file
David R Arnott