As President Reagan left the Washington Hilton Hotel on March 30, 1981, he was attacked by a lone gunman that had fired at him four to six times with a .22 caliber revolver. He was immediately pushed into a waiting limousine and rushed to the hospital. At first he didnΓÇÖt think he was hurt. But as he rode to the hospital, the President realized just how serious he had been injured.
The bullet had entered ReaganΓÇÖs body under his left armpit. It went through his chest, bruising a rib and piercing his lung. Injured along with him were James Brady, the presidential press secretary, Timothy McCarthy, a Secret Service agent, and Timothy Delahanty, a District of Columbia police officer. While Reagan, McCarthy, and Delahanty completely recovered from their injuries, Brady has never regained full control of his body. He is now a proponent of strict gun control laws.
Reagan's assailant John W. Hinckley, a 25 year-old drifter from Evergreen Colorado, was captured at the scene. The assassination attempted was believed to be influenced by his unnatural fascination with Jodie Foster. During the movie Taxi Driver, FosterΓÇÖs character had a romantic interest in a crazed gunman out to shoot the president played by Robert DeNiro. A note to her found in his Washington hotel room after the assassination attempt stated that he would abandon this idea of getting Reagan in a second if only he could win your heart and live out the rest of my life with you. I cannot wait any longer to impress you IΓÇÖve got to do something now to make you understand in no uncertain terms that I am doing all this for your sake.
Hinckley came from a wealthy oil family. He had been born in Texas but lived in Colorado since 1974. By the time he went to college, his family realized that there was something wrong with him. After dropping out of school, he joined the National Socialist Party of America, also known as the Nazi party. He had been kicked out of the party because of his violent temper.
The assassination attempt on Reagan was not the first time he had tracked a president. On October 9, 1980 he had been arrested after he tried to attend a speech that Jimmy Carter was giving loaded with several weapons and ammo. Why Hinckley was not placed under security surveillance after that incident remains a mystery.
Hinckley was indicted for attempting to kill the president in August 1981. While most security agency believed his was acting alone, CIA director, William Casey was not convinced. He believed that Hinckley had been aided by the USSRΓÇÖs KGB. Only after an extensive investigation was he convinced otherwise.
After a lengthily trial, the jury came back with a decision that surprised most of America. Hinckley was found criminally insane and to be remanded to hospital confinement until such time as he was found sane. There he has remained except for a highly publicized incident where he was allowed to leave the hospital for a 12-hour visit with his family in December 1987. Hinckley has not shown any regret over his action and corresponded with convicted murder Ted Bundy before his execution.
