Reagan Was Shot at the Same Hotel 45 Years Ago

Darwin, 27 April: The shooting incident at the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., on Saturday night—during the White House Correspondents’ Association annual dinner attended by U.S. President Donald Trump and other senior officials—has brought back memories of an event from 45 years ago. In March 1981, former U.S. President Ronald Reagan was the target of an assassination attempt at the very same hotel.

According to a BBC report, Reagan was leaving the hotel after delivering a speech in March 1981 when a man named John Hinckley Jr. opened fire. Six shots were fired, one of which ricocheted off the side of the armored presidential limousine and struck Reagan.

The bullet broke one of his ribs, damaged his lung, and came to rest dangerously close to his heart. He was rushed to George Washington University Hospital, where emergency surgery saved his life.

Reagan survived and was discharged from the hospital on April 11, 1981. His calm demeanor and sense of humor during recovery drew widespread attention. He reportedly told his wife Nancy, “Darling, I forgot to duck,” and joked to doctors, “I hope you’re all Republicans.”

However, White House Press Secretary James Brady, who was also wounded in the attack, suffered a severe brain injury and was left permanently disabled. A Secret Service agent and a Metropolitan Police officer were also injured.

Brady later became a leading advocate for gun control. The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 was named after him, and the White House press briefing room was later renamed the “James S. Brady Press Briefing Room” in his honor.

Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was confined to a mental institution for many years before being released in 2016.

A commemorative plaque still marks the site of the 1981 shooting at the Washington Hilton.

Against this historical backdrop, Saturday’s incident at the same venue during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner has sparked renewed discussion.

On Saturday evening local time, reports of gunfire in the Hilton Hotel lobby led to the swift evacuation of guests and the launch of a major security operation.

The recurrence of a high-level security scare at the same venue has revived memories of the 1981 assassination attempt, once again highlighting the hotel’s uneasy place in U.S. political history.