Charles Julius Guiteau ( ; September 8 , 1841June 30 , 1882 ) was an American writer and lawyer who assassinated United States President James A. Garfield on July 2 , 1881 . Guiteau falsely believed he had played a major role in Garfield 's victory , for which he should be rewarded with a consulship . He was so offended by the Garfield administration 's rejections of his applications to serve in Vienna or Paris that he decided to kill Garfield , and shot him at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington , D.C. Garfield died two months later from infections related to the wounds . In January 1882 , Guiteau was sentenced to death for the crime , and was hanged five months later
assassinated
Assassination of James A. Garfield
Charles J. Guiteau