Updated. Shooting at the President of the United States or his cabinet should be a capital offense. The crime should be carefully investigated, the perpetrator, when caught, should be charged, questioned thoroughly, offered a Big Mac, given a speedy trial, then, if found guilty, taken out to a courtyard, offered a comfortable hood, and then, with one officer given a blank, afforded his last words and prayer before his earthly lights are put out forever. Likewise with proven accomplices; the opinion of sentimental Popes, naive-in-this-regard (1), notwithstanding.

(1) Is Capital punishment a passe notion(2) in Catholic moral and practical theology? I asked Magisterium AI. SH.

“No—it is not “passe” in the sense of being formally rejected as never morally legitimate in Catholic doctrine. But in practical moral theology today, the Church teaches that the death penalty is so restricted (limited to cases of absolute necessity) that, given modern penal systems, such cases are described as “very rare, if not practically non-existent.”

“Catholic moral and practical theology does not automatically forbid the death penalty just because a government leader (prime minister or president) is murdered and the offender is convicted. However, the Church teaches that if the state uses the death penalty, it must meet strict conditions—and in practice today, those conditions are said to be “very rare, if not practically non-existent.” — Magisterium AI.

Note:  Suffice it to say that in my opinion this is good news to terrorists. Church doctrine nevertheless remains Church doctrine if one can makes sense of it here and in history.

(2) À judge may mitigate any sentence s/he imposes should a compelling reason be discovered.

Updated