William McKinley was shot on the grounds of the Pan-American Exposition at the Temple of Music.
On September 6 , 1901 , William McKinley , the 25th President of the United States , was shot on the grounds of the Pan-American Exposition at the Temple of Music in Buffalo , New York . William McKinley Jr. ( January 29 , 1843 -- September 14 , 1901 ) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 25th President of the United States from March 4 , 1897 until his assassination in September 1901 , six months into his second term .