Arthur Bremer

Arthur Bremer. An American would-be assassin who critically wounded Alabama Governor George Wallace, a prominent American Independent Party presidential candidate, during a campaign rally in Laurel, Maryland, on May 15, 1972. His attack, which left Wallace permanently paralyzed from the waist down, abruptly ended Wallace's 1972 presidential campaign and became a pivotal moment in modern American political history. Bremer's detailed diaries, published after his trial, provided a disturbing window into his motivations and psyche, influencing both criminal psychology and American culture.

Early life and background

Arthur Herman Bremer was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to a lower-middle-class family. He attended local schools, including Washington High School, but was described as a loner with poor academic performance. After dropping out, he held a series of menial jobs, including working as a busboy at the Milwaukee Athletic Club and as a janitor. His early adulthood was marked by social isolation and a growing fascination with notoriety, reportedly studying the lives of other assassins like Sirhan Sirhan, the killer of Robert F. Kennedy. During this period, he traveled to Ottawa and Washington, D.C., apparently stalking President Richard Nixon before ultimately fixating on Governor Wallace as a target.

Assassination attempt on George Wallace

On May 15, 1972, Bremer attended a campaign rally for Governor Wallace at the Laurel Shopping Center in Laurel, Maryland. As Wallace concluded his speech and began greeting supporters in the crowd, Bremer stepped forward and fired five shots from a .38 Special revolver at close range. Wallace was struck four times in the abdomen and spinal region, while three others in the entourage, including Alabama State Trooper Captain E.C. Dothard and a campaign volunteer, were also wounded. The attack was captured by news photographers and television crews, and Bremer was immediately subdued by Secret Service agents and bystanders, including former FBI agent Nick Zarvos. Wallace survived but was left permanently paralyzed, requiring him to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Trial and imprisonment

Bremer was charged with attempted murder and other offenses in the state of Maryland. His defense attorneys, appointed by the court, argued he was mentally incompetent, but a jury rejected an insanity defense after psychiatric testimony. In August 1972, he was found guilty and sentenced to 63 years in prison, later reduced to 53 years. He served his time primarily at the Maryland Correctional Institution – Hagerstown and was a notably model prisoner. After serving 35 years, Bremer was released on parole on November 9, 2007, from the Maryland Correctional Institution – Jessup. His release was supervised by the Maryland Division of Parole and Probation, and he has maintained strict anonymity since returning to society.

Motive and psychological profile

Bremer's primary motive, as detailed in his published diaries titled *An Assassin's Diary*, was a desperate desire for fame and notoriety, rather than any coherent political ideology. The diaries reveal his initial plans to assassinate President Richard Nixon before switching his focus to Wallace, whom he viewed as an equally significant target for achieving infamy. Forensic psychiatrists who examined him, including those from the Patuxent Institution, diagnosed him with schizoid personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder. His writings show profound alienation, delusions of grandeur, and an obsession with figures like Sirhan Sirhan and Lee Harvey Oswald, aiming to surpass their place in history. The diary became a key text in studies of lone wolf attacks and the psychology of political violence.

In popular culture

The figure of Arthur Bremer and the details of his crime have had a lasting impact on American popular culture. His diary directly inspired the character Travis Bickle in Paul Schrader's screenplay for the film *Taxi Driver*, directed by Martin Scorsese. The attempted assassination is dramatized in the 1997 television film *George Wallace*, starring Gary Sinise. Bremer and his writings are also referenced in the works of novelist Norman Mailer and in the song "Somebody Almost Walked Off With All of My Stuff" by artist David Rovics. The case is frequently cited in analyses of media, fame, and violence, such as in the writings of cultural critic Stephen Sondheim in his work *Assassins*. Category:American attempted assassins Category:American criminals Category:People from Milwaukee