The Attempted Assassination of Ronald Reagan

The Reagan assassination attempt occurred on March 30, 1981, just 69 days into the presidency of Ronald Reagan. While leaving a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., President Reagan and three others were shot and wounded by John Hinckley. Reagan suffered a punctured lung, but prompt medical attention allowed him to recover quickly despite his age. No formal invocation of presidential succession took place, although a controversial statement by Secretary of State Alexander Haig that he was "in control here" marked a short period during which Vice President George H. W. Bush was physically absent, flying back to Washington, D.C. aboard Air Force Two. Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity and has remained confined to a psychiatric facility.

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• Assassination
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• 1981
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• Hinckley
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• Attempted
• assassin
• president
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• america

[50srocknrollfan18]

I think Reagan broke the 20 year presidential curse

In 1840, Harrison was elected and died in Office

In 1860, Lincoln was elected, and died

In 1880, Garfield was elected and died

It goes all the way to JFK, Who was elected in 1960. 20 years later was 1980, and Reagan was next on the list. He survived an assassination. 20 years later was 2000, Bush was re-elected, but no assassination-attempt was made.

[HypocriteSkeleton3]

Taxi Driver

[datzfast]

who was hinkley well his daddy funded bush againt reagan in a presidential race. but it goes deaper than that.

[schizoidboy]

They forgot about the White House cop who was wounded in the neck and hand to go on disability afterwards.

[Vincentgonzalez1993]

Why does everyone want to kill people in power??? It doesn't change much as some else just steps into power.

[averymitchellband]

Ronnie Raygun's was not only the DUMBEST FUCK PRESIDENT EVER but according to his own children showed signs of being senile in his 1st year in office (1981). Then he SOLD ARMS TO IRAN. Then he oversaw the Savings&Loan scandal (1987) costing the American taxpayers $60 BILLION. 2 National Security Advisers had to resign in disgrace for misconduct. 138 Raygun administration officials were investigated, indicted or convicted of CRIMES. He was a slimey, senile old man without a fucking clue.

[VinnieGazzara]

...someone who wanted Reagan dead? : Russel Johnson, the professor on gilligans island, said in his book "here on gilligans ilse" ,...that he starred in a movie with reagan in which he got to shoot Reagan in the arm... Russel says: "boy, how I loved making that movie".

[RWT683]

@MattBeckstrom Ha, well...that guy was a lunatic. A .38 slug would probably not even penetrate the White House front door. Especially fired from the outside gate. (Somebody emptied a .38 at my neighbor's door recently and none of the rounds penetrated. This was about 2 inches of oak.)

Now IIRC in the 90's a guy fired a semi-auto AK rifle from the gate -- that's a little more dangerous, but I think the Secret Service would would have bullet-proofed the whole exterior of the White House by now.

[MattBeckstrom]

@RWT683 Well, I did some research and it looks like it was a .38-caliber handgun, some sources claim a revolver. I don't really know why they said it was "sophisticated"? It's not like it was a .500 S&W magnum or a more powerful round....

[RWT683]

@MattBeckstrom I only asked because it sounds like gun-banner rhetoric somebody ignorant and fearful of firearms would say. (Like Brady's lunatic wife.) But I guess you didn't say it.

[MattBeckstrom]

@RWT683 I did a cut and paste job from another online source. That way, I can refer people to where I got my information. The point that I was trying to make was that although the curse of Tippecanoe came true for quite some time (wikipedia that one), plenty of other Presidents had survived assassination attempts. Yeah, I don't know what makes a handgun "sophisticated" either. I don't really care to do the research, either.

[RWT683]

@MattBeckstrom I'm curious, what makes a handgun "sophisticated?" Or did you just do a cut and paste job without thinking?

I wouldn't exactly call firing a handgun at the White House an assassination attempt. There would be like the president dying from a meteorite crashing through the ceiling of the oval office, exactly above his chair.

Now the grenade thing in Tbilisi was a little more serious.