Updated March 30, 2024 at 4 p.m.
U.S. President Ronald Reagan was shot on this day in 1981, while leaving a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton Hotel.
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Who shot Ronald Reagan?
John Hinckley Jr. shot Ronald Reagan, along with three other people, in an assassination attempt aiming to impress the actress Jodie Foster.
How serious were Ronald Reagan's injuries?
Ronald Reagan was shot in the chest and suffered a punctured lung, and was forced to undergo emergency surgery. The President ultimately recovered, but the incident left him in the hospital for several weeks.
What happened to John Hinckley Jr. after the shooting?
John Hinckley Jr. was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was committed to a mental hospital. After years of treatment, he was released in 2016 and now lives under strict conditions with his family.