Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton as a result of a long-standing political and personal rivalry that culminated in a duel on July 11, 1804. The immediate cause was escalating animosity after Hamilton made disparaging remarks about Burr during the 1804 New York governor's race, where Burr lost and blamed a smear campaign involving Hamilton. Burr demanded an explanation and apology from Hamilton, which he refused to give, resulting in Burr challenging Hamilton to a duel. Hamilton, despite opposing dueling on moral and religious grounds, accepted because he felt he could not avoid the challenge without dishonoring himself and ruining his political future. During the duel, Hamilton reportedly fired intentionally away from Burr, but Burr fired directly at Hamilton, fatally wounding him. Burr likely shot to kill, believing it was justified under the dueling code, while Hamilton may have intended to avoid killing Burr altogether.