The Scene Of The Reagan Assassination Attempt @ Washington Hilton Hotel

The Reagan Assassination Attempt

On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan narrowly escaped death in a dramatic assassination attempt in Washington, D.C. The event unfolded just a mere 69 days into Reagan's first term in office, an act of shocking violence that would become a pivotal moment in Reagan’s presidency. The day began with President Reagan addressing a crowd of reporters and supporters outside the Washington Hilton Hotel. The President had just finished a speech about his economic plans at the National Conference of Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO.

Post conference President Reagan was walking towards his limousine along with his entourage as they made their way through the hotel’s entrance, a man named John Hinckley Jr. was lurking in the vicinity. As Reagan stepped off the curb and towards the Presidential limousine, Hinckley stepped forward and fired six shots in rapid succession.

The Shooting

The first bullet missed but struck the Reagan Administrations, Press Sectary James Bradley who would later be permanently disabled before his death in 2014. The second shot hit a police officer named Thomas Delahanty who volunteered to guard Reagan on this occasion. The shot struck officer Delahanty in the neck, Thomas Delahanty was subsequently forced to retire from the force as he sustained permanent nerve damage to his left arm. The third round struck a window adjacent to the Hilton hotel. The fourth bullet hit Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy in the chest. The fifth shot struck the window of the President's limousine.

Remarkably, Reagan was struck by the final bullet that ricocheted off the side of the limousine which strikes Reagan in the chest, just an inch away from his heart. The President was quickly rushed to George Washington University Hospital. Despite the severity of the wound, Reagan’s medical team acted swiftly and he underwent emergency surgery that required the bullet to be extracted from his left lung. His recovery was God speed, and he was back at the White House within weeks.

The Aftermath

John Hinckley Jr. was apprehended at the scene and later declared not guilty by reason of insanity after extensive examinations via court orders. During his incarceration he attempted to commit suicide twice. Hinckley, a 25-year-old drifter from Colorado, had been obsessed with actress Jodie Foster and had fixated on Reagan as a way to gain her attention. He had been planning the assassination for weeks and had acquired a Röhm RG-14 revolver for this purpose. John Hinckley Jr. was granted a total release from St. Elizabeth's on June 15, 2022.

Hinckley upon his full release issued an apology to the Reagan family expressing his remorse and regretful actions. In the aftermath of the Donald J. Trump assassination attempt Hinckley expressed his views with the quote: “Violence is not the way to go. Give peace a chance,”