Symon Petliura, who was head of the Directorate of the Ukrainian National Republic in 1919, had moved to Paris in 1924 and was the head of the government-in-exile of the Ukrainian People's Republic.
Sholom Schwartzbard, who had lost his family in the 1919 pogroms, held Symon Petliura responsible for them (see the discussion on Petliura's role in the pogroms).
According to his autobiography, after hearing the news that Petliura had relocated to Paris, Schwartzbard became distraught and started plotting Petliura's assassination.
A picture of Petliura with Józef Piłsudski published in the Encyclopedia Larousse allowed Schwartzbard to recognize him.

On May 25, 1926, at 14:12, by the Gibert bookstore, he approached Petliura, who was walking on Rue Racine near Boulevard Saint-Michel of the Latin Quarter, Paris, and asked him in Ukrainian, "Are you Mr. Petliura?"
Petliura did not answer but raised his cane.
Schwartzbard pulled out a gun shooting him five times and, after Petliura fell to the pavement, twice more.
When the police came and asked if he had done the deed, he reportedly said, "I have killed a great assassin."
Other sources state that he attempted to fire an eighth shot into Petliura, but his firearm jammed.
Symon Petliura, who was head of the Directorate of the Ukrainian National Republic in 1919, had moved to Paris in 1924 and was the head of the government-in-exile of the Ukrainian People's Republic. Sholom Schwartzbard, who had lost his family in the 1919 pogroms, held Symon Petliura responsible for them (see the discussion on Petliura's role in the pogroms). According to his autobiography, after hearing the news that Petliura had relocated to Paris, Schwartzbard became distraught and started plotting Petliura's assassination. A picture of Petliura with Józef Piłsudski published in the Encyclopedia Larousse allowed Schwartzbard to recognize him.
On May 25, 1926, at 14:12, by the Gibert bookstore, he approached Petliura, who was walking on Rue Racine near Boulevard Saint-Michel of the Latin Quarter, Paris, and asked him in Ukrainian, "Are you Mr. Petliura?" Petliura did not answer but raised his cane. Schwartzbard pulled out a gun shooting him five times and, after Petliura fell to the pavement, twice more. When the police came and asked if he had done the deed, he reportedly said, "I have killed a great assassin." Other sources state that he attempted to fire an eighth shot into Petliura, but his firearm jammed.
Sholom Schwartzbard