Ex-city Leader Held In Killing Of Mayor, Aide (Press, 29 November 1978)

On 29 November 1978, San Francisco was shaken by the shocking murders of Mayor George Moscone, aged 49, and Harvey Milk, a prominent gay rights advocate aged 47. The killings occurred in the City Hall, where both men were shot by a lone gunman. The police later took into custody Dan White, a 32-year-old former member of the Board of Supervisors, who surrendered shortly after the shootings. Although White was a prime suspect, no formal charges had been filed against him at the time of his arrest. The murders occurred against the backdrop of the recent mass suicide and killings of the Peoples Temple cult led by Rev. Jim Jones in Guyana, which had left the city in distress. Both Moscone and Milk were well-known figures in the city, and their violent deaths further deepened the city's turmoil. Moscone, who had previously appointed Jones to a city position, was reportedly not directly connected to the earlier tragedy despite some shared associations. Witnesses indicated that White, upset over his political status, was motivated by Moscone's decision not to reappoint him to the Board of Supervisors. White had resigned earlier in November, citing the need to focus on his restaurant, the "Hot Potato." When he attempted to seek his position back, he was informed that he lacked the necessary political support. The Mayor was scheduled to announce White's successor later the same day of the shootings. Upon discovering the scene, aides found Mayor Moscone fatally wounded, having been shot twice in the head and once in the arm. Milk was later found dead in his office. City officials reported no known animosity between Milk and White, although it was noted that White had previously opposed gay rights legislation. Following the murders, Dianne Feinstein, the president of the Board of Supervisors and now the Acting Mayor, conveyed the tragic news to city employees gathered outside City Hall. Her announcement was met with profound shock and sorrow, with crowd members expressing their disbelief and grief. As flags flew at half-mast throughout San Francisco, the city mourned the loss of its leaders, while the investigation into the murders began to unfold.

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