Moscone initially agreed to White's request, but later refused the appointment at the urging of Milk and others. On November 27, 1978, White visited San Francisco City Hall with the later-declared intention of killing not only Moscone and Milk, but also two other San Francisco politicians, California Assembly Speaker and later S.F. mayor Willie Brown, and Supervisor Carol Ruth Silver, both of whom he also blamed for lobbying Moscone not to re-appoint him.[7] He arrived that day by climbing through a first-floor window on the side of City Hall carrying a .38 revolver and 10 rounds of ammunition. By entering the building through the window, White was able to avoid the recently installed metal detectors. After entering Moscone's office, White pleaded to be re-instated as supervisor, but Moscone said no. White then killed Moscone by shooting him in the shoulder and chest, and twice in the head. He then walked to the other side of City Hall to Milk's office, reloaded the gun, and fatally shot Milk five times, the final two shots fired with the gun's barrel touching Milk's skull, according to the medical examiner. White then fled City Hall, turning himself in at the San Francisco's Northern Police Station where he had been a police officer.
It sounds like White wanted to kill Moscone AND Milk, and 2 other people, one being Willie Brown.
Yes, he was feuding with the others as well (Willie Brown was in the Assembly at the time, not the Board of Supervisors). It still was basically him wanting to get his job back. Had Milk not dissuaded Moscone, it’s very possible he would never have gone on his rampage (but then again, having someone of that delicate mental capacity on the verge of snapping in a position of trust certainly was no positive). Then again, he might’ve snapped at the next flare-up of personalities before long.
It’s interesting how Milk has been canonized, with the narrative being White slayed him for being gay. Of course, the reality is that his sexual preference had nothing to do with it. That the far more prominent George Moscone has almost been forgotten is very curious. Moscone was likely on course to become either Governor or Senator in the ‘80s (and perhaps the Democrat Presidential standard-bearer by 1988 instead of Dukakis). Had Milk lived, at best, he might’ve ended up as SF Mayor, presuming AIDS didn’t get him first (though I believe Dianne Feinstein, who ironically represented the “Conservative” wing of the Board of Supervisors, would’ve won the Mayorship over Milk or an ally even without the assassination elevating her to the office).