Attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan, Assassination attempt in Washington, D.C., US
The attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan took place on March 30, 1981, outside the Washington Hilton Hotel in northwest Washington, D.C. John Hinckley Jr. fired six shots with a handgun, hitting Reagan and three others, including White House Press Secretary James Brady.
The shooting happened just 69 days after Reagan took office as president. He was treated at George Washington University Hospital and returned to the White House after twelve days.
The Washington Hilton Hotel on Connecticut Avenue, where the shooting took place, still stands and draws visitors who know the story. For many Americans, the event remains a shared memory tied to a specific sidewalk and a few seconds of chaos.
The Washington Hilton Hotel on Connecticut Avenue NW is still open and the exterior can be seen on a walk through the neighborhood. The exact spot where the shooting occurred is on the sidewalk along the side of the hotel, near the exit used by the President that day.
Secret Service agent Jerry Parr initially directed the limousine toward the White House, then changed course to the hospital after noticing blood in Reagan's mouth. That split-second decision is widely credited with saving the President's life.
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