National News

Listen: Eyewitnesses Recount The 1954 Shooting Attack On The U.S. Capitol

WHRO

Published January 17, 2021 at 7:58 AM EST

On March 1, 1954, Puerto Rican nationalists from New York carried out a shooting attack on Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C. Front row, from left to right: Irving Flores Rodriguez, Rafael Cancel Miranda, Lolita Lebron and Andres Figueroa Cordero, stand in a police lineup following their arrests.

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On March 1, 1954, four people launched on armed attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The insurgents, all young Puerto Rican nationalists from New York, fired more than two dozen bullets into the House of Representatives chamber in a plot to bring attention to the fight for Puerto Rico's independence. Five members of Congress were wounded in the assault.

Click the audio link above to hear voices recount a lesser known moment in history, including journalist Ray Suarez and eyewitness who were at the Capitol that day: congressional staffers Bill Goodwin, Mike Michaelson, Joe Bartlett and Paul Kanjorski, along with Washington, D.C., police officer Benjamin Jason.

This story was produced by Ben Shapiro with help from Joe Richman, Deborah George and Nellie Gilles of Radio Diaries . To hear more stories from Radio Diaries, subscribe to their podcast at www.radiodiaries.org .