Attempted Assassination of Ronald Reagan
On March 30, 1981, an attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, occurred in Washington, D.C. As Reagan was leaving a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton Hotel, a man named John Hinckley Jr. fired six shots from a revolver, hitting Reagan and three others, including a police officer and a Secret Service agent.
Reagan was seriously injured but survived the attack, thanks in part to quick medical attention. Hinckley was arrested and later found not guilty by reason of insanity, leading to his commitment to a mental health facility rather than a prison sentence.