By David A. Graham and Rob Verger
In the aftermath of the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who remains in critical condition after being shot in the head, many members of congress are reconsidering their security. Some have even vowed to carry a gun for protection. And while four of the 43 U.S. presidents have been assassinated, only four members of Congress (out of the thousands of Americans who have served in the House and Senate since 1789) have been gunned down for political reasons while in office. Nonetheless, the recent tragedy in Tucson has sparked the question: How much risk of assassination or other unnatural deaths do members of Congress face? The following explores the ways some Congress members have met their fate, from plane crashes and suicide to drowning and duels.
