Reagan Attempt: Hinckley's Obsession with Foster
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Quick Facts
Assassination at Washington Hilton: Reagan and Foster
On March 30, 1981, at 2:27 PM, the [Internal Link Placeholder] was shaken by a shocking [Internal Link Placeholder] attempt. Six shots rang out outside the [Internal Link Placeholder] Hilton [Internal Link Placeholder], and what was supposed to be a routine public appearance for [Internal Link Placeholder] Ronald Reagan escalated into a violent shootout. The bullets struck not only the president but also his press secretary James Brady, a Secret Service agent, and a police officer. The perpetrator was 25-year-old John Hinckley Jr. His motive was not political; rather, this attack on the president was a desperate manifestation of [Internal Link Placeholder] and a pathological obsession with the actress Jodie Foster. Hinckley hoped this extreme act of [Internal Link Placeholder] would win her admiration, a twisted idea fueled by a deep fascination with Martin Scorsese's [Internal Link Placeholder] *Taxi Driver*.
Hinckley's obsession: *Taxi Driver*, Foster, and letters
John Hinckley Jr.'s obsession with the [Internal Link Placeholder] *Taxi Driver* and Jodie Foster began in the late 1970s. He strongly identified with the film's protagonist, Travis Bickle, an isolated taxi driver who, in the movie, plans a political [Internal Link Placeholder]. When Hinckley discovered in 1980 that Foster was to study at Yale University, he followed her there. To his parents, he pretended to be attending a writing workshop, but his true purpose was to seek out Foster. His attempts to contact her by phone and mail, in which he declared his love, were consistently rejected, exacerbating his [Internal Link Placeholder]. A few hours before the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan, Hinckley wrote a final letter to Foster. In it, he declared he was willing to sacrifice his freedom, and perhaps even his life – an almost suicidal dedication – to carry out a 'historic act' that, in his twisted mind, would win her respect.
Warnings ignored: Nashville arrest and careful plans
Several warning signs pointed to the tragedy that would unfold at the [Internal Link Placeholder] Hilton [Internal Link Placeholder]. As early as October 1980, John Hinckley Jr. was arrested at the Nashville [Internal Link Placeholder] with three [Internal Link Placeholder] in his luggage. The arrest occurred because [Internal Link Placeholder] Jimmy Carter was in the city. Despite this alarming discovery, the [Internal Link Placeholder] failed to link the incident to a potential threat against a president, and Hinckley was let off with a fine. After Ronald Reagan's election victory in November 1980, Hinckley shifted his focus. Although he claimed some sympathy for Reagan's policies, his primary motivation for the planned [Internal Link Placeholder] attempt was to achieve the fame he believed would impress Jodie Foster. In the weeks leading up to the [Internal Link Placeholder], he prepared methodically. He acquired a Röhm RG-14 revolver and the notorious "Devastator" bullets, designed to explode on impact. He studied Reagan's schedule and booked a hotel room near the Washington Hilton Hotel, ready to carry out his plan.
Shots at Hilton: Secret Service failings and Reagan's wound
On that fateful Monday afternoon, as [Internal Link Placeholder] Ronald Reagan was leaving the [Internal Link Placeholder] Hilton [Internal Link Placeholder] after a speech, John Hinckley Jr. struck. A serious lapse by the Secret Service meant that a group of onlookers, including Hinckley, had been allowed to stand dangerously close to the president's route. Wearing a raincoat and positioned among the press photographers, Hinckley opened fire. The first shots struck Press Secretary James Brady in the head and police officer Thomas Delahanty in the neck. In the [Internal Link Placeholder] chaos, Secret Service agent Jerry Parr reacted instinctively, pushing the president towards the waiting limousine. A third shot missed its target. The fourth hit agent Timothy McCarthy, who heroically placed himself in the line of fire. The fifth shot glanced off the limousine's bulletproof glass. The sixth and final shot, one of the dangerous "Devastator" bullets, ricocheted off the [Internal Link Placeholder]'s armor and struck Ronald Reagan under his left arm—an act of extreme [Internal Link Placeholder].
Reagan in hospital: Near death and media frenzy
[Internal Link Placeholder] Ronald Reagan did not [Internal Link Placeholder] feel the shot but collapsed shortly thereafter in the limousine. At George [Internal Link Placeholder] University [Internal Link Placeholder], [Internal Link Placeholder] discovered a small entry wound; the bullet had lodged dangerously close to his heart, less than an inch from being fatal. Even in this critical situation, Reagan maintained his well-known humor; his comment to the surgeons – "I hope you are all Republicans" – has since become legendary. While the president fought for his life, the Secret Service attempted to control the flow of information, resulting in considerable confusion in the media. This included an erroneous report that James Brady had died, which contributed to the chaotic situation surrounding this [Internal Link Placeholder].
The trial: Hinckley 'not guilty' by insanity verdict
The subsequent [Internal Link Placeholder] of John Hinckley Jr., which began in May 1982, evolved into an intense legal drama in the [Internal Link Placeholder]. The defense argued that Hinckley was mentally ill, suffering from schizophrenia, and supported this with [Internal Link Placeholder] including a CAT scan showing abnormalities in his brain. The prosecution, conversely, portrayed him as a cold and calculating perpetrator, possibly with narcissistic personality disorder. The jury's verdict – not guilty by reason of insanity – caused an uproar. This controversial verdict in such a [Internal Link Placeholder] triggered nationwide protests and led to significant reforms in U.S. law regarding mental health and criminal responsibility, a [Internal Link Placeholder] for many who felt justice had not been served.
Aftermath: Brady Bill and Hinckley's freedom in 2022
This [Internal Link Placeholder] attempt on Ronald Reagan had far-reaching and lasting consequences. James Brady, who was severely disabled by the [Internal Link Placeholder], became a passionate advocate for stricter gun control. His tireless work culminated in the passage of the Brady Handgun [Internal Link Placeholder] Prevention Act (commonly known as the Brady Bill) in 1993, which mandated federal background checks for firearm purchases in the [Internal Link Placeholder]. The Secret Service also implemented extensive changes to its [Internal Link Placeholder] protection procedures to prevent similar acts of violence in the future. John Hinckley Jr. spent the next 35 years at St. Elizabeths [Internal Link Placeholder], a mental health facility, until he was granted conditional release in 2016. In 2022, a judge declared him fully rehabilitated and free of psychotic symptoms. President Reagan made a full recovery and completed his term in office. This [Internal Link Placeholder] still stands as a chilling example of how a young man's [Internal Link Placeholder] and obsession with a movie star and a [Internal Link Placeholder] could lead to a violent political assassination attempt that shook an entire nation.
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Susanne Sperling
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