John Wilkes Booth
On April 4, the Union Army took over Richmond, the capital city of the Confederacy.  Five days later, General Robert E. Lee surrendered Confederate forces to the Union Army.  After these two events, Booth decided to kill Lincoln instead of kidnapping him. According to Booth's former friend, Louis Weichmann, Booth may have decided to kill the President on April 11.  On that day, Booth listened while Lincoln gave a speech supporting voting rights for black Americans. Weichmann, who saw the President's speech with Booth, later said: