President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated April 15 1865. He was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. He was killed in Ford's Theater in Washington D.C. Lincoln was killed just five days after the confederate army surrendered to the union forces. The confederacy was in desperate need because they were about to lose the war so the killer, John Wilkes Booth had a plan to kill the president of the United States. it was during a comedy show in Ford theater. Lincoln was seated in private box in the theater. At 10:15 Booth entered the box and fired his small gun at the back of Lincoln's head. Booth then jumped on to the stage and shouted "Sic semper tyrannis!" Even though he broke one of his legs he was able to escape on horseback out of the back of the theater. Lincoln was in carried to a near by house where he died only hours latter.