President William McKinley was shot on September 6, 1901, while attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. He was greeting the public in a receiving line at the Temple of Music when Leon Czolgosz, an anarchist, approached him with a concealed pistol wrapped in a handkerchief and fired two shots at close range. One bullet grazed McKinley, but the other struck his abdomen, causing serious internal injuries.

Although McKinley initially appeared to be recovering after surgery, his condition worsened due to infection, and he died on September 14, 1901. His assassination shocked the nation and led to Vice President Theodore Roosevelt becoming the 26th President of the United States. The event highlighted the need for better presidential security and had lasting effects on how future presidents were protected.