Who was James Brady? John Hinckley Jr who shot Ronald Reagan admits he killed WH press secretary
John Hinckley Jr, who tried to assassinate Ronald Reagan has admitted for the first time that he was responsible for the death of the former president's press secretary. On March 30, 1981, Hinckley opened fire outside the Hilton Hotel in Washington DC. One of the bullets struck Reagan inches from his heart, nearly killing him.
Hinckley also struck White House Press Secretary James Brady in the head, leaving him paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair for as long as he lived. Despite his severe injuries, Brady became a champion of gun control. Former President Bill Clinton even named a law after him. Brady died on August 4, 2014, at the age of 73. A coroner determined that he died as a result of the head wound he suffered 33 years earlier.
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Brady's death was ruled a homicide at the time, and Hinckley has now admitted that he is responsible for Brady's death. In an interview, Piers Morgan pressed the ex-convict, 67, on the issue of Brady's death. "He died from the wounds he suffered, it was designated homicide by the coroner because of the year and the day rule you could not be tried for murder," Morgan said. "But do you accept now that because you fired the gun at James Brady that caused the catastrophic injuries and subsequent death that you were guilty of his murder?"
"I wouldn't say that, but I certainly caused him to have devastating injuries," Hinckley responded. "But I believe he lived on for another 30-something years. So I can't really say I'm the cause of his murder." Morgan did not stop insisting, saying, "You did kill him", to which Hinckley said, "I understand." "But [do] you accept you killed him?" Morgan asked. "I would say yes," Hinckley replied. This was Hinckley's first television interview after being released from prison in June.
Who was James Brady?
James Brady was an aide to the US president and the 17th White House press secretary. He began his career in public service as a staff member in the office of Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen (R- IL). In 1964, he was campaign manager for congressional candidate Wayne Jones in the race for Illinois' 23rd District. In 1970, Brady managed a campaign for Phyllis Schlafly in the same district. He then held various positions in both the private sector and the government. Brady was unable to serve as White House press secretary after the attack but remained in that position until the end of the Reagan administration. Larry Speakes and Marlin Fitzwater took over that role on "acting" or "deputy" basis.
Brady married Sue Beh in 1960, but the pair divorced in 1967. Brady married Sarah Jane Kemp in 1972, and they joined an Episcopal Church. Sarah and Brady lobbied for stricter handgun control and assault weapon restrictions. The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, or 'the Brady Bill', was named in his honor. The White House press briefing room was renamed the James S Brady Press Briefing Room in Brady's honor in 2000.
In the interview, Hinckley insisted he is a changed man. He claimed he did not clearly remember what he did on the day of the shooting. "I just remember I was at a hotel in Washington DC and I happened to have the newspaper before me and I saw the President's schedule for that day, and that's how I knew where he would be that day," he said. "And I think I went and got some breakfast, and I went up to the hotel. In those days it was pretty easy to get close to the President and of course that's all changed now… and unfortunately I was able to go through with the crime."
On a fateful day, Hinckley also injured a police officer, Thomas Delahanty, and a secret service agent, Tim McCarthy. He was apparently motivated by his obsession with actress Jodie Foster and her film, 'Taxi Driver.' 'I had first seen her, I believe in the movie Taxi Driver in 1976, I believe," Hinckley told Morgan. he admitted that he became so obsessed that he attended Yale University to "follow her and try to find her." "That turned out badly, so my thinking went very negative, and that's why I went ahead with the shooting," he said.
Brady was found not guilty of the shooting by reason of insanity at his 1982 trial. He was subsequently released from his psychiatric medical facility. He went on to live with his mother under strict restrictions. In June, he was released from all court restrictions.
"I was right in the middle of a really severe mental illness, I had really bad depression and I had delusions going on. Looking back on it now, it's like a whole another lifetime. I just can't imagine doing what I did," Hinckley said. "You did want to kill President Reagan, right," Morgan asked him, to which he said, "I suppose so, back then I did. I'm just so glad I didn't, that I did not succeed."