Assassination

The businessman John Bellingham shot and killed Prime Minister Spencer Perceval in revenge for non-acknowledgment of grievances, in 1812.

Assassination is the murder of an important person or political figure, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, member of a royal family, or leader of a company. It is one of the oldest tools of power politics, and dates back at least as far as recorded history. A person who has commited assassination is called an assassin or hitman.

Like murder in general, methods of assassination can vary. However, in modern times, assassination is usually commited using firearms. A sniper with a precision rifle is often used in fictional assassinations. However, certain pragmatic difficulties attend long-range shooting, including finding a hidden shooting position with a clear line of sight, detailed advance knowledge of the intended victim's travel plans, the ability to identify the target at long range, and the ability to score a first-round lethal hit at long range, which is usually measured in hundreds of meters.