Reagan Shot: Violence Shocks Nation, Security Tightens

The bullet ricocheted off the presidential limousine and lodged one inch from Ronald Reagan's heart. On March 30, 1981, John Hinckley Jr. fired six shots from a .22 caliber revolver outside the Washington Hilton Hotel, striking the president, Press Secretary James Brady, Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy, and police officer Thomas Delahanty. Reagan, 70 years old and just 69 days into his presidency, was rushed to George Washington University Hospital, where surgeons spent three hours removing the bullet. Hinckley's motive was bizarre enough to seem fictional. He was obsessed with actress Jodie Foster, whom he had seen in the film Taxi Driver, and told investigators he had attempted the assassination to impress her, emulating the film's protagonist. He had stalked Foster at Yale University and decided that killing the president would demonstrate the depth of his devotion. He purchased the Rohm RG-14 revolver at a pawnshop in Dallas for $29. Reagan nearly died. He lost more than half his blood volume before reaching the hospital, and his systolic blood pressure dropped to 60. Surgeons initially could not find the bullet, which had flattened into a dime-shaped disc upon impact with the car. Reagan maintained composure throughout, reportedly telling the surgical team, "I hope you're all Republicans," and later quipping to Nancy Reagan, "Honey, I forgot to duck." Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity, a verdict that outraged the public and prompted Congress and multiple states to tighten insanity defense standards. James Brady, left partially paralyzed by a shot to the head, became a gun control advocate, and the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 mandated federal background checks for firearm purchases. Reagan recovered and served out both terms, crediting divine intervention for his survival.