On March 30th of 1981, just a mear 69 days into Ronald Reagan’s presidency an attempted assassination was carried out on his life. Reagan had just wrapped up a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. and upon leaving the venue a man by the name of John Hinckley, Jr. opened fire on him, as a result of which President Reagan and three others were hit and wounded. The most seriously injured was James Brady who was left paralyzed from the gunshot wound and later died in 2014 due to complications related to his injuries.

The motivation behind the attack is said to have been the actress Jodie Foster, who Hinckley was trying to impress after developing an unhealthy obsession for her after seeing her in the film Taxi Driver. Reagan himself was shot in the chest just below his left underarm. This resulted in a punctured lung and heavy internal bleeding, but prompt medical attention allowed him to recover quickly.

Hinckley was later found not guilty by reason of insanity on charges of attempting to assassinate the President and remains confined to a psychiatric facility.