1954 Shooting in the House Chamber
On March 1, 1954, while Members gathered on the House Floor for an upcoming vote, three men and one woman entered the visitor’s gallery above the chamber and quietly took their seats. All four belonged to the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party and only hours earlier had traveled from New York City to Washington, DC.
The United States had annexed Puerto Rico in 1898, and the island’s relationship with the federal government had long been a point of contention. Some Puerto Ricans sought to maintain their relationship with the mainland, and others, like the four visitors in the House that day, argued for an independent Puerto Rico.
The Capitol had few security protocols at the time, and the four Puerto Rican nationalists entered the gallery armed with handguns. Around 2:30 p.m. they indiscriminately opened fire onto the House Floor and unfurled a Puerto Rican flag in a violent act of protest meant to draw attention to their demand for Puerto Rico’s immediate independence.
Five Congressmen were wounded in the shooting.
Members, House Pages, and police officers quickly helped detain three of the assailants outside the gallery, while the fourth escaped the Capitol and was apprehended later that afternoon.
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Interviewees
Featured Audio
Famous 1954 Photograph
Famous 1954 Photograph
Bill Goodwin, Page, U.S. House of Representatives
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Video
Recollections of the 1954 Shooting in the House Chamber: Part One
Recollections of the 1954 Shooting in the House Chamber: Part Two
Remembering the Day
Reflections on the Aftermath of the Shooting
Eyewitness to History
Account of the Shooting
Representative Edna Kelly of New York
Reaction of the Pages
Newsreel Footage of the 1954 Shooting in the House Chamber
Audio
Responding to the Shooting
Responding to the Shooting
John Allen Murphy, Metropolitan Police Officer, Washington, DC
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Immediate Response
Immediate Response
Benjamin Jason, Metropolitan Police Officer, Washington, DC
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On the Scene
On the Scene
John Allen Murphy, Metropolitan Police Officer, Washington, DC
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Hectic Scene at the House
Hectic Scene at the House
Benjamin Jason, Metropolitan Police Officer, Washington, DC
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"It Wasn't My Time to Go"
"It Wasn't My Time to Go"
Mike Michaelson, Superintendent, Radio-TV Gallery, U.S. House of Representatives
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Shooting in the House Chamber
Shooting in the House Chamber
Mike Michaelson, Superintendent, Radio-TV Gallery, U.S. House of Representatives
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"Pop, Pop, Pop" "Ring, Ring, Ring"
"Pop, Pop, Pop" "Ring, Ring, Ring"
Joseph Hillings, Assistant Journal Clerk for the Minority, U.S. House of Representatives
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Famous 1954 Photograph
Famous 1954 Photograph
Bill Goodwin, Page, U.S. House of Representatives
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Close Call
Close Call
Mike Michaelson, Superintendent, Radio-TV Gallery, U.S. House of Representatives
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The Aftermath
The Aftermath
John Allen Murphy, Metropolitan Police Officer, Washington, DC
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The Administrative Work
The Administrative Work
John Allen Murphy, Metropolitan Police Officer, Washington, DC
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Witness to the Shooting
Witness to the Shooting
Mike Michaelson, Superintendent, Radio-TV Gallery, U.S. House of Representatives
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Personal Reflections on the Attack
Personal Reflections on the Attack
Benjamin Jason, Metropolitan Police Officer, Washington, DC
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Training to Respond
Training to Respond
John Allen Murphy, Metropolitan Police Officer, Washington, DC
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Images & Artifacts
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About this object
About this object
About this object
About this object