What is the term for the murder of a public figure?

• A. Murder
• B. Stranger homicide
• C. Assassination
• D. Felony murder

Answer: (C)

Assassination is the term used for the killing of a public figure, especially a political leader or other prominent person, with the motive of influencing politics or public policy. It signals not just the act of killing, but the intent to strike at someone whose public role is meant to have a wider impact. Murder is the general umbrella term for unlawful killing, but it doesn’t specifically capture the target’s prominence or the political motive often involved in assassinations. The idea of “stranger homicide” isn’t a standard label for this concept, and felony murder describes liability for deaths that occur during the commission of a crime, not the nature of the victim or the intent behind the act.