Sara Jane Moore, infamous for her attempt to assassinate President Gerald Ford nearly five decades ago, has died at the age of 95 in a Franklin nursing facility.

According to the Nashville Banner, Moore passed away on Wednesday, just days after the 50th anniversary of her failed attack outside the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco in 1975. Her death marks the end of a life steeped in radical ideas and a dark chapter of American history.

Moore’s actions came on the heels of another attempt on Ford’s life by Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, though the two incidents were unrelated. Unlike Fromme, who was tied to the Manson cult, Moore was driven by the revolutionary fervor of the era and the Patricia Hearst kidnapping by the Symbionese Liberation Army.

From Radicalization to a Fateful Shot

Moore’s path to violence began in the turbulent 1970s, a time of deep unrest over the Vietnam War and widespread calls for systemic upheaval. She admitted in a 2009 interview on NBC’s Today show to being consumed by the belief that only a violent uprising could transform the nation.

“The only way it was going to change was a violent revolution,” she declared, revealing her mindset at the time. Her words paint a picture of delusion, a tragic misstep into thinking one bullet could rewrite history, ignoring the chaos and pain such acts inevitably bring.

The day before her attempt, police arrested Moore on a gun charge, confiscating a .44 caliber handgun and over 100 rounds of ammunition. On the day of the attack, she fired a single shot from a .38 caliber weapon with a faulty sight, missing Ford before being subdued by a former Marine, Oliver Sipple.

A Life Sentence and a Late Release

Moore was sentenced to life in prison for her crime, a fitting consequence for an act that could have shattered the stability of a nation already on edge. She attempted to escape in 1979 but was quickly recaptured within hours.

Decades later, in 2007, she was released on parole after serving a significant portion of her sentence. Her release raised eyebrows among many who questioned whether justice had truly been served for such a grave offense against the fabric of democratic order.

After her release, Moore lived quietly, eventually moving to Bellevue in 2022 before a fall led her to rehabilitation facilities in Williamson County. She spent her final years there, far removed from the radical fire that once defined her.

Reflecting on a Violent Past

In her later years, Moore offered chilling reflections on her actions, showing little remorse for the intent behind her attempt on Ford’s life. In a 2024 discussion with the Nashville Banner, while watching coverage of an attempt on then-candidate Donald Trump, she likened her mindset to acting in a play.

“When you psych yourself up to do something like that… it’s sort of like being in a play,” she said, describing a cold detachment from the gravity of her actions. Such a comparison trivializes the real-world stakes of political violence, a dangerous mindset that dismisses the human cost of ideological extremism.

Her personal life, marked by five marriages and four children, stood in stark contrast to the public image of a would-be assassin. Yet, those personal ties seemed overshadowed by a legacy of reckless conviction that nearly altered history.

A Cautionary Tale for Troubled Times

Moore’s death at 95 closes a chapter on a disturbing moment when political violence felt like a twisted answer to societal discontent.

Her story serves as a grim reminder of how radical ideologies can warp judgment, pushing individuals toward acts that threaten the very foundation of a free society.

As we reflect on her life, there’s a lesson in resisting the siren call of extremism, no matter how justified it may seem in the heat of the moment. America’s strength lies in debate and reform, not in the barrel of a gun, a truth Moore’s actions painfully underscore.