- An assassin is a criminal who kills prominent or famous people. Normally, the assassin is paid for the work, but some do it for free. These are mostly mentally disturbed or aggrieved individuals. Some notorious assassins of history include John Wilkes Booth, the murderer of Abraham Lincoln, and Lee Harvey Oswald, the killer of John F. Kennedy. Assassins and assassinations are a common theme in film and literature. Jason Bourne, of the series of Bourne Identity movies, is a government assassin who works to advance the cause of the United States against its enemies.
- A typical paid assassin spend his days in search of his target. Hired to kill a specific individual, he must find the individual. The assassin may use secret government files or other more public information to learn the whereabouts of a target in hiding. Once discovered, he will survey the target, using hidden cameras and bugs. The purpose of surveillance is to determine the victim's habits. The more the assassin knows about the victim, the easier it will be for the assassin to kill him.
- The assassin can kill the target in many different ways. The way chosen must be appropriate to the situation. Sometimes, it is best to make the deed appear accidental. In this case, the assassin might use poisons or, as in the case of one KGB agent, a poisoned ice pellet fired from an umbrella on a bus. If discretion is not so important, a bomb, or high-powered rifle might be the method of choice. The main thing is accomplishing the goal quickly and with confidence.
