THE FAILED ASSASSINATION OF RONALD REAGAN
INSIDE THE MIND OF JOHN HINCKLEY JR, THE MAN WHO TRIED TO MURDER THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES 40 YEARS AGO
Forty years ago, a man so desperate for love believed killing the president of the United States would impress the woman he’d been stalking for seven months – teen actress Jodie Foster.
John Hinckley Jr was inspired after watching Jodie in Taxi Driver. In the film, Robert De Niro’s character attempts to kill an American Senator.
Hinckley was convinced that killing President Ronald Reagan would improve his social status to match Jodie’s stardom. Once he was famous, he believed she would fall for him.
At 2.27pm on March 30, 1981, the newly elected president walked to his waiting limousine and waved to the crowd outside of Washington Hilton hotel.
In the crowd, Hinckley pushed forward, gun in hand, towards President Reagan. As the first shot rang out, the secret service scrambled to protect the president and wrestle the would-be assassin to the ground. Hinckley fired six shots in under two seconds.
None of the shots hit President Reagan directly,
though one ricocheted off the bulletproof limousine and struck him under his left arm.
Press secretary James Brady was the worst injured, with a bullet to the skull that would later cause significant disabling injuries and his premature death.
The security team pushed the injured president into the limousine and sped to George Washington University Hospital, as others, though injured, fought to take down crazed Hinckley.
The entire scene was over in less than a minute, however, it would have long-reaching repercussions as the media examined the motives behind Hinckley’s assassination attempt.
Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity and after spending 35 years in a psychiatric facility, was released in September 2016.
Known as erotomania, stalking is a mental disorder. Stalkers believe that the object of their desire is in love with them, and so they turn to grandiose, deadly, and often psychotic acts to prove their reciprocated love.
In the months leading up to the attempt on President Reagan’s life, other acts of murder by stalkers would flood the headlines.
The murder of John Lennon by fan and stalker Mark David Chapman only three months before, shone a spotlight on the murderous love a stalker has for the object of their desire.
The slaying of My Sister Sam star Rebecca Schaeffer by stalker Robert John Bardo in 1989 also shocked the world.
The actress, who had been waiting for a delivery, opened her front door to Bardo, who shot her dead.
He had been stalking her for three years and hired a private detective to find her home address.
Since Rebecca’s death, the US has enforced more stringent anti-stalking laws.
Stalking often begins with obsessive behaviours like following or cyberstalking.
This can then expand to acts such as illegally entering property, sending offensive material and stealing items belonging to the victim.
Later, the stalker may escalate to more violent acts such as threats, harm to pets, damage to property or vehicles, and in extreme cases, murder.
Reports show that many stalking cases are not pursued through the criminal justice system, and it is only when a victim of stalking is murdered that officials take notice.
“HINCKLEY FIRED SIX SHOTS IN LESS THAN TWO SECONDS”