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President Reagan, having been in office only 69 days, was leaving the Washington, D.C. Hilton hotel by the side door after addressing a union convention, when he was attacked by a lone gunman with a .22 caliber revolver. When the shooting had ended, 3 men lay wounded on the sidewalk, and the President was being wisked to the hospital as the nation and the world held their breath. John Hinckley, a mentally disturbed young man who was attempting to impress actress Jodi Foster, fired 6 shots from a crouch into the President's entourage at near point-blank range. The first shot struck Press Secretary James Brady, who was walking beside the President. The bullet hit the left side of his forehead and passed through the right side of his brain. The second shot hit D.C police officer Thomas J. Delhanty in the neck. Delhanty had been working crowd control for the presidential visit to the hotel. The third bullet struck Secret Service agent Timothy J. McCarthy in the abdomen. McCarthy had heroically made himself a human shield between the gunman and President Reagan. When the gunfire began, Secret Service agent Jerry Parr clutched the President by his left arm and shoved him in the direction of the bulletproof limo. As President Reagan was entering the limo, the final shot fired by Hinckley struck him just below the left armpit after richoceting off of the limo body. Reagan described his injury in his autobiography: "The flattened bullet hit my rib edgewise, then turned over like a coin, tumbling down through my lung and stopping less than an inch from my heart." Reagan was rushed to George Washington University Hospital, where he walked in unassisted, and then collapsed in the Emergency Room. He was rushed to emergency surgery. Meanwhile, Vice President George H.W. Bush was flying in Air Force Two somewhere over Texas. In his absence, the officials at the White House grappled with the situation. Due to events in Poland, and the proximity of Soviet submarines near the U.S. coast, there was some speculation that the assassination attempt had been a Russian plot. The military was put on high alert by Defense Secretary Cap Weinberger. Also, concern arose over control of the U.S.'s nuclear arsenal. Seeking to quell the concerns raised by the White House press corps, Secratary of State Alexander Haig made his now famous declaration, "I'm in control here, in the White House, pending the return of the Vice President." Soon it became apparent that the gunman was a deranged loner, and word came that the President would survive. Vice President Bush arrived at the White House four hours after the shooting and cancelled all alerts. President Reagan made a full recovery and was released from the hospital on April 11 to resume the duties of his office. James Brady suffered permanent brain damage, but survived to be one of the nation's most outspoken proponents of hand gun control legislation. Officer Tom Delhanty suffered severe nerve damage in his left arm and retired 8 months after the shooting, at the age of 45. Agent Tim McCarthy recovered fully and later became Secret Service Agent in charge of Chicago. John Hinckley was charged with attempting to assasinate President Reagan. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity and remains confined at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington. |
| The 80's History Project Crimes President Reagan Shot March 30, 1981 |
| The chaotic scene seconds after the shooting. McCarthy, Delhanty, and Brady lie wounded on the sidewalk. Agents can be seen pinning Hinckley to the wall. |
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| President Reagan being hustled into the limo by Secret Service Agent Jerry Parr during the assassination attempt. |
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| John Hinckley |