"I want to be famous"

The title statement is supposedly what set Arthur Bremer on the road to trying to kill Richard Nixon in 1972. It may be noted with interest that today, Arthur Bremer, the man who shot George Wallace in 1968 when the Alabama Governor was running for President, was released from prison after serving 35 years. It is expected that Bremer will return to his home state of Wisconsin, but the state will likely bar him from interacting with politicians and attending political rallies. Bremer decided to shoot one of the candidates in the 1968 Presidential election. His top choice was President Richard Nixon, then George McGovern, before realizing that he would have an easier time getting to George Wallace.

So, on May 15, 1972, a sunny day in Laurel, Maryland (it is hard to understand why a presidential candidate would ever campaign in Maryland, but that's a story for a different day) Bremer approached Wallace in the Laurel Shopping Center parking lot with a snub-nosed revolver and opened fire. Wallace spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair but also corresponded with Bremer in prison, forgiving Bremer for his actions. Wallace died in 1998.

Three others were also hit by gunfire. Nick Zarvos, a Secret Service agent protecting Wallace was shot in the throat. The bullet just missed his carotid artery and voice box by less than an inch. An Alabama state trooper, also part of the security detail and a Maryland campaign volunteer were also wounded.

It was alleged that the Nixon White House may have tried to capitalize on the event. Charles Colson reportedly wanted to dispatch an operative to Bremer's apartment to plant pro-McGovern literature there. Colson denies the allegation.

There is no marker at the shopping center to commemorate what happened there thirty-five years ago. In fact the spokesman for the city of Laurel remarked to the Washington Post, "To be honest with you, a lot of people in Laurel don't know about the shooting or could tell you who George Wallace is." Well that's just sad.

Here's an article from the Washington Post Archives that recounts the shooting. Maybe that will help.