Reagan Shot

Setting the scene

President Ronald Reagan was shot on March 30, 1981, outside the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., by John Hinckley Jr., a 25-year-old obsessed with actress Jodie Foster. Reagan had just given a speech to union leaders and was walking to his limousine at 2:27 p.m. when Hinckley fired six shots from a .22 revolver. One bullet ricocheted off the limousine and struck Reagan in the chest, puncturing his lung and lodging near his heart.

What happened

Three others were wounded: Press Secretary James Brady (shot in the head, permanently disabled), Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy, and police officer Thomas Delahanty. Reagan was rushed to George Washington University Hospital, where he joked to surgeons, 'I hope you're all Republicans.' He underwent surgery and recovered fully, returning to work April 11. Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity and confined to psychiatric hospitals until his release in 2016.

Why it still matters

Reagan's grace under fire boosted his popularity and demonstrated the resilience of American institutions—Vice President Bush did not assume power, and Secretary of State Alexander Haig's claim 'I am in control here' was quickly corrected. The shooting led to the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993, requiring background checks, championed by James Brady and his wife Sarah. March 30, 1981, showed both the vulnerability of presidents and the stability of constitutional succession.

Background

Press secretary Brady was permanently disabled.