The man that shot Alexander Hamilton was named Aaron Burr.

The story behind the answer

True—the man who shot Alexander Hamilton was Aaron Burr. On July 11, 1804, the sitting U.S. vice president wounded Hamilton in a duel at Weehawken, New Jersey; Hamilton died the next day, July 12, 1804. (Grammatically, it’s “the man who,” not “that.”)

Their clash capped years of political rivalry—from the deadlocked 1800 election to Burr’s failed 1804 New York gubernatorial bid after Hamilton’s scathing comments. Dueling was illegal, and accounts differ: Hamilton may have fired wide or into the air, while Burr’s shot proved fatal. The episode ended Hamilton’s life and ruined Burr’s career, making “Burr shot Hamilton” an enduring shorthand for early American political ferocity.