Attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan

Attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan
Reagan waves outside the Washington Hilton Hotel, moments before being shot
LocationWashington Hilton, Washington, D.C., United States
Coordinates38°54′58″N 77°02′43″W / 38.9161°N 77.0454°W / 38.9161; -77.0454
DateMarch 30, 1981 (1981-03-30)
2:27 p.m. (Eastern Time)
TargetRonald Reagan
Attack type
Attempted assassination (Reagan), attempted homicide (McCarthy and Delahanty), shooting
WeaponsRöhm RG-14
Deaths1 (James Brady)[a]
Injured
3 (Ronald Reagan, Tim McCarthy, Thomas Delahanty)
PerpetratorJohn Hinckley Jr.
MotiveTring to get Jodie Foster's attention; mental illness
VerdictNot guilty by reason of insanity
Charges13 counts[b]
SentenceInstitutionalization

The attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan happened on March 30, 1981 in Washington, D.C.. John Hinckley Jr. shot President of the United States Ronald Reagan as he walked to his limousine after speaking at the Washington Hilton hotel. Hinckley did it to get the attention of actress Jodie Foster. He became obsessed with her after watching the 1976 movie Taxi Driver.

A bullet bounced off the presidential limousine and hit Reagan under his left arm. It broke a rib, punctured a lung, and caused serious internal bleeding. Doctors did emergency surgery at George Washington University Hospital. Reagan left the hospital on April 11. During the shooting, the Twenty-fifth Amendment was never used. Secretary of State Alexander Haig said that he was "in control here" at the White House until Vice President George H. W. Bush returned from Texas. Haig was fourth in the line to replace Reagan; ahead of him were Bush, Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill, and President pro tempore of the Senate Strom Thurmond.

Hinckley also wounded White House Press Secretary James Brady, Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy, and D.C. police officer Thomas Delahanty. All three survived, but Brady had brain damage and later could not walk. He died in 2014 from his injuries.[2][5]

On June 21, 1982, a jury found Hinckley not guilty by reason of insanity on the charge of trying to kill the president. He was sent to St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C., and stayed there until 2016.

Background

John Hinckley Jr. had a mental illness called erotomania.[6] He became obsessed with actress Jodie Foster.[7] While living in Hollywood in the late 1970s, he saw the movie Taxi Driver at least 15 times.[8][9][10] In the movie, the main character, Travis Bickle, tries to kill a United States senator who is running for president.[9]

Over the next few years, Hinckley followed Foster around the country. In 1980, he joined a writing class at Yale University after reading in People magazine that Foster was a student there.[11] He wrote many letters and notes to her in the late 1970s.[12] He also called her twice, even after she said she did not like him.[9]

Hinckley thought he could win Foster’s attention if he became famous. He decided to act like Bickle in the movie and began following President Jimmy Carter.[13] He was surprised at how close he could get to the president. At one event, he stood only a foot away from Carter.[13] In October 1980, he was arrested at Nashville International Airport for carrying a gun illegally.[13] Carter had made a campaign stop there, but the FBI did not tell the Secret Service about Hinckley’s arrest. They did not think it was connected to Carter’s visit.[14]

Hinckley’s parents later put him under the care of a psychiatrist for a short time.[15] In early March 1981, he wrote more notes to Foster.[16] She gave them to a Yale dean, who passed them to the Yale police.[17] The Yale police looked for Hinckley, but stopped looking a few weeks before the shooting.[17]

Assassination attempt

Early events

On March 28, 1981, Hinckley took a bus to Washington, D.C. He checked into the Park Central Hotel.[11][18] At first, he wanted to travel to Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut to see Jodie Foster and try to make her love him..[19] Instead, he read President Ronald Reagan’s schedule in The Washington Star newspaper and decided it was time to act.[20] Hinckley knew he might die during the shooting. About two hours before, he wrote a letter to Foster but did not mail it.[21] In the letter, he said he wanted to impress her. He also wrote that he would give up the plan to shoot Reagan if he could only "win her heart and live with her".[22]

On March 30, Reagan gave a speech to AFL–CIO leaders at the Washington Hilton.[23] The Hilton was thought to be very safe because of its private tunnel called "President’s Walk".[24] The tunnel had been built after President John F. Kennedy was killed in 1963.[24] Reagan entered through the passageway and waved to reporters and people in the crowd.[24] Normally, the Secret Service had him wear a bulletproof vest. But that day, Reagan did not wear one because he was not think he would be outside for a long time.[25] Hinckley also arrived outside the hotel. People who stood near him later said he acted normally.[26]

Shooting

At 2:27 p.m. on March 30, Reagan left the hotel through "President’s Walk".[27] Reporters waited outside. Hinckley stood in the crowd. The Secret Service had not checked the people waiting there.[28] People clapped as Reagan walked past them to go in the limousine. Reporters stood behind a rope barrier about 20 feet (6 m) away. As one reporter shouted, "Mr. President—", Hinckley moved closer to the front.[29][30] He pulled out a Röhm RG-14 revolver and fired six shots in 1.7 seconds.[31][32][33][34]

The first bullet hit White House Press Secretary James Brady in the head above his left eye. It went through his brain and broke his skull.[2][3] Hinckley had made the bullets explosive, and one exploded inside Brady’s head.[35] The second bullet hit District of Columbia police officer Thomas Delahanty in the back of his neck. He had turned to look for the shooter, and the bullet got stuck in his spine.[36]

Hinckley now had a good view of Reagan. But Alfred Antenucci, a labor official from Cleveland, saw Hinckley shooting.[37] He hit Hinckley in the head and began pushing him to the ground.[37] Special Agent Jerry Parr then grabbed Reagan by the shoulders and pushed him toward the open door of the limousine.[38] Agent Ray Shaddick followed and helped push both men inside.[39] The third bullet missed Reagan and hit a window across the street.[40] Many later said that Parr’s quick action saved Reagan from being shot in the head.[38][40]

As Agent Jerry Parr pushed Reagan into the limousine, Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy stepped in front of the president. He spread his arms and legs to make himself a bigger target.[41] The fourth bullet hit him in the lower chest. It hit his right lung, his diaphragm, and the right side of his liver.[42]

The fifth bullet hit the bulletproof glass of the limousine as Reagan and Parr moved behind it.[43] The sixth and final bullet bounced off the side of the limousine. It passed through the space between the open door and the frame. It then hit Reagan under his left arm.[43][27] The bullet passed a rib, got stuck in his lung, and made it collapse. It stopped less than an inch (25 mm) from his heart.[44][43][45]

Right after the first shots, Secret Service agent Dennis McCarthy jumped on Hinckley. Other people pushed Hinckley to the ground.[46] Another Cleveland labor official, Frank J. McNamara, joined Alfred Antenucci and punched Hinckley in the head, making him bleed.[47] Dennis McCarthy later said he had to hit two citizens to get them to leave Hinckley alone.[48]

The next day, officials gave Hinckley’s gun to the ATF. Agents learned in just 16 minutes that the gun had been bought at Rocky’s Pawn Shop in Dallas, Texas on October 13, 1980.[49] The gun had six “Devastator” brand bullets. Each one carried a small amount of explosives.[50] On April 2, doctors wearing bulletproof vests removed the bullet from Thomas Delahanty’s neck, worried that it might still explode.[50]

Reagan hospitalized

After Secret Service agents first reported "shots fired" on their radios, they sped away with Reagan in the limousine. At first, no one knew he had been shot.[51][52] Agent Jerry Parr checked Reagan’s body and found no blood, so he told the driver to go to the White House.[51] Reagan felt great pain near his rib and thought Parr had cracked it while pushing him into the car.[52] When Parr checked again, Reagan coughed up blood.[52] Reagan believed he had only cut his lip, but Parr thought a rib had punctured his lung. Parr then told the driver to go to George Washington University Hospital.[53] After hearing this news, First Lady Nancy Reagan quickly left the White House to go to her husband.[54]

The limousine reached the hospital less than four minutes after leaving the hotel.[55] Reagan stepped out and tried to act normally as he walked inside.[56] But he told others he could not breathe and quickly fell to one knee.[57] Parr and other agents helped him into the emergency room.[57] At first, doctors thought Reagan was having a heart attack.[58][19] The medical team, led by Dr. Joseph Giordano, cut off Reagan’s suit to check for wounds.[59] Reagan later joked that he was not happy about his new suit being ruined.[60] Military officers, including the one carrying the nuclear football, tried to stop FBI agents from taking Reagan’s suit and wallet as evidence.[61]

Doctors found that Reagan’s blood pressure was only 60, instead of the normal 140. This showed he was in shock, and they knew most 70-year-olds would not survive.[62] But Reagan was in good health, and the bullet was small: a .22 (5.6 mm)-caliber bullet instead of a larger one.[56] Doctors soon found the entry wound but not an exit wound, which meant the bullet was still inside him.[63] Nearby, other doctors worked on James Brady and agent Tim McCarthy.[64]

When Nancy Reagan entered the emergency room, Reagan told her, "Honey, I forgot to duck".[65] Later, while on a breathing tube, he wrote a note to a nurse that said, "All in all, I’d rather be in Philadelphia".[66] Within 30 minutes, Reagan left the emergency room for surgery, and his blood pressure was back to normal. Surgeons checked for organ damage and removed the bullet.[67][68] Dr. Benjamin L. Aaron did the surgery, which lasted 105 minutes.[69] Reagan had lost more than half his blood but the bullet was removed without any problems.[70][63]

In the operating room, Reagan pulled off his oxygen mask to make a joke. He said, “I hope you are all Republicans," which made the doctors and nurses laugh.[71] Dr. Giordano, a Democrat, later said, "Today, Mr. President, we are all Republicans".[71] After surgery, Reagan began having a fever, but doctors treated it with antibiotics.[72]

Reagan's recovery

Reagan left the hospital on the morning of April 11, 1981, twelve days after the shooting.[73] Doctors were happy with how quickly he recovered.[74] They told him not to work too hard, so his first weekend back was kept not busy with only a few visitors.[73] At first, Reagan worked only two hours a day.[75] He did not lead Cabinet meetings or hold press conferences for a few weeks.[75] Even years later, Reagan said he still felt the effects of the shooting.[76]

The attack made Reagan more popular with the public. His approval rating rose to 70%.[77][78] Reagan also said he believed God had saved his life so that he could go on to do good things.[79]

White House and cabinet response

During the shooting, the White House response was not well organized.[80] Normally, National Security Advisor Richard Allen would take charge of the executive branch. But Secretary of State Alexander Haig wanted to be in control instead.[80][81][82] When the White House first heard the news of the shooting, Haig was already there.[80] He called Vice President George H. W. Bush, who was visiting Texas for the first time since the inauguration.[83] The phone line to Bush’s plane, Air Force Two, was weak.[83] By 2:35 p.m., Bush learned about the attack. At first, he thought Reagan was not hurt, so he went to Austin to give a speech.[84] At 3:14 p.m., about 47 minutes after the shooting, Haig sent a teletype message to Bush:[83]

Mr. Vice President: In the incident you will have heard about by now, the President was struck in the back and is in serious condition. Medical authorities are deciding now whether or not to operate. Recommend you return to DC at your earliest possible moment. Secretary Alexander Haig, Jr.

Chief of Staff James A. Baker and Counselor to the President Edwin Meese went to the hospital, still thinking Reagan was not hurt.[85] Within five minutes of the shooting, Cabinet members began meeting in the White House Situation Room.[86] They worried the Soviet Union might take advantage of the crisis to launch a nuclear attack. Soon after, the U.S. military found two Soviet missile submarines near the East Coast.[87] Defense secretary Caspar Weinberger put the Strategic Air Command on high alert.[88] At the time, some people even thought the Soviets might have been behind the shooting.[80] Inside the White House, Haig, Weinberger, and Allen argued about the presidential line of succession.[89]

When Reagan went into surgery, Haig told others, "The helm is right here. And that means right in this chair for now, constitutionally, until the vice president gets here".[90] But Haig was wrong. As secretary of state, he was fourth in line: behind Vice President Bush, Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill, and Senate president pro tempore Strom Thurmond.[80][91] Although others in the room knew Haig was wrong, they did not correct him.[80]

At the same time, a press conference was happening at the White House. CBS reporter Lesley Stahl asked deputy press secretary Larry Speakes who was running the government. Speakes answered, "I cannot answer that question at this time".[80] After hearing this, Haig wrote a note to Speakes telling him to leave quickly.[80] Moments later, Haig walked into the press room and said falsely:[90]

Constitutionally, gentlemen, you have the president, the vice president and the secretary of state, in that order, and should the president decide he wants to transfer the helm to the vice president, he will do so. As of now, I am in control here, in the White House, pending the return of the vice president and in close touch with him. If something came up, I would check with him, of course.

Reporter Lesley Stahl said Haig was "visibly shaken". The Associated Press wrote that he sounded nervous.[92] People in the Situation Room said they laughed when they heard Haig say, "I am in control here".[93] Richard Allen later said, "I was [shocked] that he would say something [so] stupid".[83] Haig later said:[90]

I wasn't talking about transition. I was talking about the executive branch, who is running the government. That was the question asked. It was not "Who is in line should the President die?"

After Haig returned to the Situation Room, some Cabinet members thought he was not doing his job well. This made Haig angry, and he told them to "read the Constitution".[94] Vice President Bush landed at Andrews Air Force Base later that night. He chose not to fly by helicopter to the White House, but instead went to his home at Number One Observatory Circle.[95] Bush then took charge of the Situation Room meeting and later gave a live speech at 8:20 p.m.:[95][96]

I can reassure this nation and a watching world that the American government is functioning fully and effectively. We've had full and complete communications throughout the day.

After the shooting

Hinckley trial

Hinckley was arrested shortly after the shooting. The FBI searched his hotel room and found the letter he wrote to Jodie Foster.[97] They also found pictures of President Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan.[98] The FBI soon believed Hinckley had acted alone and was obsessed with Foster.[97] At first, Hinckley was held at Marine Corps Base Quantico. Later, he was moved to the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, North Carolina.[99][100] While in prison, he tried to kill himself twice, in May and November 1981.[101]

During his trial, Hinckley wanted Foster to speak. She agreed, but only with a small number of people in the courtroom.[102] In March 1982, during her testimony, Foster did not look at him or speak to him.[102] Hinckley reacted by throwing a pen at her and shouting threats.[102][103] Since then, Foster has rarely spoken about Hinckley or the shooting in interviews.[104]

On June 21, 1982, Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity.[105] Doctors for the defense said he was insane.[105] He was sent to St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C.[106] He stayed there full-time until 2006.[107] That year, he was given permission to spend part of his time at his mother’s home.[107] On September 10, 2016, Hinckley was allowed to leave the hospital for good.[106] After his trial, he wrote that the shooting was "the greatest love [gift] in the history of the world" and said that he was not sorry about it.[108] Many Americans were angry about the not-guilty verdict.[109][110] In response, Congress and many states rewrote laws about the insanity defense.[111] Some states made it harder to use the defense, while others banned it completely.[111]

In June 2022, Hinckley was given a full release.[112] That same month, he said he was sorry for the shooting. He also reached out to the Reagan and Brady families, as well as to Jodie Foster.[113]

Victims recovery

Thomas Delahanty recovered but had nerve damage in his left arm. He had to retire from the Metropolitan Police Department a few months after the shooting.[114] Tim McCarthy recovered fully and was the first of the wounded men to leave the hospital.[115] James Brady survived, but his injury caused speaking problems and partial paralysis. He used a wheelchair for the rest of his life.[116]

Later, Brady and his wife, Sarah, became well-known gun control activists. They worked with Handgun Control, Inc., a lobbying group that was later renamed the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.[117] They also started the non-profit Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.[117] In 1993, the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act became law as a result of their work.[118] Brady died on August 4, 2014, in Alexandria, Virginia, at the age of 73.[119] After his death, the D.C. Medical Examiner said the cause of death was a homicide caused by the wounds from the 1981 shooting.[120]

The 2001 Showtime movie The Day Reagan Was Shot told the story of the attack and the White House response.[121] In 2015, conservative commentator Bill O'Reilly wrote a book about the shooting called Killing Reagan: The Violent Assault That Changed a Presidency.[122] The book was made into a television movie in 2016, with Tim Matheson as Ronald Reagan and Cynthia Nixon as Nancy Reagan.[123] In 2024, the biopic movie Reagan opened with the shooting as its first scene.[124] Actor Dennis Quaid played Reagan in that movie.[125]

Notes

  1. ↑ James Brady was permanently disabled from his gunshot wound and died as a result of his injuries on August 4, 2014, 33 years after the event.[1][2][3]
  2. ↑

References

  1. ↑ "James Brady's death ruled a homicide, police say". CNN.com. 2014-08-09. Retrieved 2015-04-02.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Medical examiner rules James Brady's death a homicide". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 28, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "James Brady's Death Was a Homicide, Medical Examiner Rules". NBCWashington.com. August 8, 2014. Retrieved 2015-04-02.
  4. ↑ Pear, Robert (August 25, 1981). "JURY INDICTS HINCKLEY ON 13 COUNTS BASED ON SHOOTING OF PRESIDENT". The New York Times.
  5. ↑ Corasaniti, Nick (8 August 2014). "Coroner Is Said to Rule James Brady's Death a Homicide, 33 Years After a Shooting". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Erotomania: Definition, Symptoms, Characteristics And Treatment". Psychologyfor.com. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Would-Be Reagan Assassin John Hinckley, Jr. Apologizes to Jodie Foster for Trying to Kill President". Rolling Stone. September 27, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Taxi Driver: Its Influence on John Hinckley, Jr". Law.umkc.edu. Archived from the original on March 2, 2007. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "All about the John Hinckley case: Taxi Driver". Crime Library. Archived from the original on February 8, 2007.
  10. ↑ "John Hinckley, Jr. – Reagan – WGBH American Experience". PBS.org. Archived from the original on April 13, 2010. Retrieved 2015-04-02.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "John W. Hinckley, Jr. Biography". Law.umkc.edu. Archived from the original on January 19, 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  12. ↑ "All about the John Hinckley case: 'I'll Get You, Foster!'". Crime Library. Archived from the original on March 11, 2007.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 "Hinckley stalked Carter in Tennessee". Rutherford History.org. September 16, 2025. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  14. ↑ Lyons, Richard D. (April 3, 1981). "F.B.I. Notice On Hinckley Arrest At Issue". The New York Times.
  15. ↑ "PSYCHIATRIST STATES HE NEVER SAW SIGN OF MENTAL ILLNESS IN HINCKLEY". The New York Times. May 11, 1982. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  16. ↑ Wald, Matthew L. (April 2, 1981). "Teen-Age Actress Says Notes Sent by Suspect Did Not Hint Violence". The New York Times. Retrieved February 28, 2007.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Wald, Matthew L. (April 5, 1981). "Yale Police Searched For Suspect Weeks Before Reagan Was Shot". The New York Times. Retrieved February 28, 2007.
  18. ↑ "March 1981: The Tourist From Hell". Boundary Stones.org. November 10, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Wilber, Del Quentin (2011). Rawhide Down: The Near Assassination of Ronald Reagan (hardcover). Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-8050-9346-9.
  20. ↑ Doug Linder. "Account of the Trial of John W. Hinckley, Jr". Law.umkc.edu. Archived from the original on August 3, 2002. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  21. ↑ "'Hinckley knew precisely what he was doing'". UPI. August 17, 1982. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  22. ↑ Gabe Hinkebebin (October 3, 1981). "Bibliography of the Hinckley Trial". Law.umkc.edu. Archived from the original on January 8, 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  23. ↑ "President Reagan's Address to AFL-CIO". CSPAN. March 30, 1981. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 "Hinckley Hilton President's Walk". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  25. ↑ "President Reagan often wore a bullet proof vest during..." UPI. March 31, 1981. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  26. ↑ Office of Inspection. "Reagan Assassination Attempt Interview Reports" (PDF). United States Secret Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-21. Retrieved March 11, 2011.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "President Reagan Assassination Attempt". HMDB. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  28. ↑ Reagan Assassination Attempt (YouTube). Discovery UK. 2010-12-13. Archived from the original on 2021-11-16.
  29. ↑ Raines, Howell (March 31, 1981). "Reagan Wounded In Chest By Gunman; Outlook 'Good' After 2-Hour Surgery; Aide And 2 Guards Shot; Suspect Held". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved 2018-12-02.
  30. ↑ "Assassination at the movies". TheGuardian.com. October 4, 2012.
  31. ↑ Rodgers, Walter (1981-03-31). "I felt the concussion, knew it was gunshots". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
  32. ↑ "All about the John Hinckley case: The President is Shot". Crime Library. Archived from the original on January 29, 2007.
  33. ↑ Schlager, D.; Johnson, T.; McFall, R. (1996). "Safety of Imaging Exploding Bullets With Ultrasound". Annals of Emergency Medicine. 28 (2): 183–187. doi:10.1016/S0196-0644(96)70060-4. PMID 8759583. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  34. ↑ Wilentz, Sean (2008). The Age of Reagan: A History, 1974–2008. New York: HarperCollins. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-06-074480-9. reagan hinckley missed.
  35. ↑ "Assassination Attempt on Reagan". Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  36. ↑ "Even those without physical scars still feel effects of Regan assassination attempt". UPI. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 "Alfred Antenucci (death notice)". The New York Times. Associated Press. May 13, 1984. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 "Jerry Parr, Secret Service agent credited with saving President Reagan's life, dies at 85". The Los Angeles Times. October 9, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  39. ↑ "In Remembrance: 40 years since the assassination attempt on President Reagan". Secret Service.org. April 1, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 "The Attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan". Alabama Gazette. April 1, 2025. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  41. ↑ "He Took a Bullet for Reagan". CBS News. June 11, 2004. 'In the Secret Service', [Tim McCarthy] continued, 'we're trained to cover and evacuate the president. And to cover the president, you have to get as large as you can, rather than hitting the deck.'
  42. ↑ "HE TOOK A BULLET FOR REAGAN 30 YEARS AGO". Tampa Bay. March 31, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 ""SIX SHOTS AT A NATIONS HEART"". Clinton Library. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  44. ↑ "As Secret Service agent, alumnus may have saved Reagan". Loyola.edu. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  45. ↑ "The chaotic scene after the attempted assassination of President Reagan, 1981". Rare Historical Photos. July 14, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  46. ↑ "A Split Second to Act: Secret Service Agent Dennis McCarthy". Heard Everything. March 30, 2025. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  47. ↑ "Cleveland labor leader ill after grabbing Reagan's attacker". UPI. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  48. ↑ "Reagan Is Recovering, Signs New Dairy Law, Quips With Aides, Docs". Schenectady Gazette. April 1, 1981. p. 1. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  49. ↑ Mohr, Charles (1981-04-01). "GUNS TRACED IN 16 MINUTES TO PAWN SHOP IN DALLAS". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 Philip Taubman (April 3, 1981). "Explosive Bullet Struck Reagan, F.B.I. Discovers". The New York Times. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 'Rawhide Down': Former Secret Service Agent Revisits Scene of Reagan Shooting (YouTube). PBS NewsHour. 2011-03-29. Archived from the original on 2021-11-16.
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 52.2 "CNN Transcript – Larry King Live: Remembering the Assassination Attempt on Ronald Reagan". Transcripts.cnn.com. March 30, 2001. Archived from the original on December 19, 2019. Retrieved 2015-04-02.
  53. ↑ "How a Secret Service Agent Saved Reagan". The Fiscal Times. March 30, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  54. ↑ "For Nancy Reagan, a Rush to the Hospital, and Hours of Waiting". The Washington Post. March 30, 1981. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  55. ↑ "Secret Service after Reagan shot: "Let's hustle"". CBS News. March 11, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  56. ↑ 56.0 56.1 "The Saving of the President". Washingtonian. March 10, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  57. ↑ 57.0 57.1 "'He Groaned, His Knees Buckled . . . He Collapsed' : Politics: A firsthand account of President Ronald Reagan's shooting shows the tension--and humor--of his medical care. It also reignites questions about relieving a leader of power". The Los Angeles Times. December 7, 1994. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  58. ↑ Altman, Lawrence K. (September 6, 2005). "Daniel Ruge, 88, Dies; Cared for Reagan After Shooting". The New York Times. Retrieved March 11, 2011.
  59. ↑ "Joseph Giordano, Surgeon Who Helped Save Reagan's Life, Dies at 84". The New York Times. July 4, 2025. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  60. ↑ "Read President Reagan's Best Jokes About Being Shot". Time. March 30, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  61. ↑ Reeves, Richard (2005). President Reagan: The Triumph of Imagination. Simon and Schuster. p. 36. ISBN 0-7432-3022-1. nuclear launch codes reagan hospital.
  62. ↑ "30 years' later: Nurses remember tending to President Reagan after shooting". Cleveland.com. March 30, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  63. ↑ 63.0 63.1 "What the surgeon who pulled John Hinckley's bullet out of Ronald Reagan's chest remembers". ABC News. October 3, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  64. ↑ "A Look Back: 1981 Reagan assassination attempt". Jacksonville.com. August 4, 2014. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  65. ↑ ""March 30, 1981" on RonaldReagan.com". Archived from the original on April 28, 2009.
  66. ↑ "Ronald Reagan Assassination Attempt". reagan.com. Archived from the original on April 28, 2009. Retrieved 2015-04-02.
  67. ↑ "Remembering the Assassination Attempt on Ronald Reagan". CNN. March 30, 2001. Archived from the original on December 13, 2004. Retrieved December 19, 2007.
  68. ↑ Okie, Susan; Cohn, Victor (31 March 1981). "Reagan, After Surgery, Is in Stable Condition". Washington Post. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  69. ↑ Kirkman, Don (March 31, 1981). "Reagan Lucky, MD Says". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Scripps-Howard. pp. A7. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
  70. ↑ "Reagan survived an assassination attempt, his response changed the trajectory of his presidency". KBTX. July 14, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  71. ↑ 71.0 71.1 Noonan, Peggy. "Character Above All: Ronald Reagan Essay". Public Broadcasting Service. Archived from the original on October 4, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2009. To the doctors, "I just hope you're Republicans." To which one doctor replied, "Today, Mr. President, we're all Republicans."
  72. ↑ "REAGAN'S CONDITION CALLED 'GOOD'; HE SEES AIDES AS FEVER GOES DOWN". The New York Times. April 5, 1981. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  73. ↑ 73.0 73.1 Lescaze, Lee (April 11, 1981). "Feeling 'Great,' President Leaves the Hospital". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
  74. ↑ "Doctors are 'impressed' with Reagan's progress". Chron. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  75. ↑ 75.0 75.1 "REAGAN'S WORKLOAD UP TO 2 HOURS A DAY". The New York Times. April 9, 1981. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
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