1981 Attempted Assassination of Ronald Reagan

A Chilling Reminder of the Fragility of Power

On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was the target of an assassination attempt that shook the nation and raised serious concerns about the safety of the country's highest leader.

The Incident:

As President Reagan exited the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., he was shot in the chest by a 25-year-old drifter named John Hinckley Jr. The bullet narrowly missed Reagan's heart, but it caused significant damage to his lung. Reagan was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

Secret Service agents immediately apprehended Hinckley, who claimed that he had attempted to assassinate the president to impress actress Jodie Foster. The motive for the attack was later determined to be Hinckley's obsession with Foster, who had played a role in the movie "Taxi Driver," which depicted the assassination of a political figure.

Reagan's recovery was remarkable. He underwent surgery and spent several weeks in the hospital before returning to the White House. However, the attempted assassination had a lasting impact on his presidency and on the nation as a whole.