Attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II assassination attempt
The Pope photographed moments after being shot by Ali Ağca in St. Peter's Square on 13 May 1981
LocationSt. Peter's Square, Vatican City
Date13 May 1981 (1981-05-13)
TargetPope John Paul II
Attack type
Shooting
WeaponsBrowning Hi-Power
Deaths0
Injured3 (including the Pope)
PerpetratorMehmet Ali Ağca (Grey Wolves)
The location of the shooting, marked by a stone tablet, in St. Peter's Square

On 13 May 1981, in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, Pope John Paul II was shot and wounded by Mehmet Ali Ağca while he was entering the square. The Pope was struck twice and suffered severe blood loss. Ağca was apprehended immediately and later sentenced to life in prison by an Italian court. The Pope forgave Ağca for the assassination attempt.[1] He was pardoned by Italian president Carlo Azeglio Ciampi at the Pope's request and was deported to Turkey in June 2000. Ağca converted to Roman Catholicism in 2007.

  1. ^ "Man who shot pope mourning his death, lawyer says". NBC News. 4 April 2005. Retrieved 20 January 2013.

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