 On duty outside the guest-house where the president was staying, the officer fired an automatic rifle at close range, instantly killing Shermarke.Observers suggested that the assassination was inspired by personal rather than political motives.Shermarke's assassination was quickly followed by a military coup d'état on October 21, 1969 (the day after his funeral), in which the Somali Army seized power without encountering armed opposition — essentially a bloodless takeover.