American Artifacts: Reagan Assassination Attempt - "Rawhide Down"

Summary

On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan survived an assassination attempt outside the Washington Hilton Hotel. John Hinckley Jr. fired six shots, hitting press secretary James Brady, DC police officer Thomas Delahanty, and Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy. The fourth bullet narrowly missed Reagan, while the sixth ricocheted off the presidential limousine, striking Reagan in the chest. Secret Service agent Jerry Parr swiftly got Reagan into the limousine and, upon realizing the president was injured, diverted to George Washington Hospital. Code names were used to protect sensitive information during the emergency response.

Takeaways

• 🔫 On March 30th, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was targeted by a would-be assassin who fired six shots outside the Washington Hilton Hotel.
• 💔 The first shot hit James Brady, the press secretary, in the head, causing him to fall down.
• 👮 The second shot hit Thomas Delahanty, a DC police officer who was checking on the president's progress.
• 🎯 The assassin, Hinckley, had an effective range of 20 to 30 feet and had practiced target shooting.
• 🚼 Jerry Parr, Reagan's lead Secret Service agent, acted swiftly to protect the president within 1.41 seconds of the first shot being fired.
• 🚨 The third shot missed Reagan and lodged in a window across the street, leaving a bullet hole that was later photographed.
• 🛡 Tim McCarthy, another Secret Service agent, took a bullet in the chest while shielding the president.
• 🚗 The president was quickly ushered into the armored limousine by Jerry Parr, who then had the driver speed away.
• 🚨 The sixth and final shot ricocheted off the limousine and hit Reagan, lodging in his lung.
• 🚑 Despite initial plans to return to the White House, Jerry Parr decided to divert to George Washington Hospital due to Reagan's difficulty breathing and the presence of frothy blood, indicating a lung injury.
• 📻 Secret Service used code names and phrases like 'Rawhide Down' to communicate about the president's condition to avoid alerting potential listeners, including the media and assassins.

Q & A

On what date did the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan occur?

The assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan occurred on March 30th, 1981.

Where was the shooting incident involving President Reagan located in relation to the White House?

The shooting incident took place outside the Washington Hilton hotel, which is two miles from the White House.

What was the name of the Washington Post reporter who authored the book about the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan?

The Washington Post reporter who authored the book about the assassination attempt was Dell Wilber.

How many shots were fired by the would-be assassin at President Reagan?

The would-be assassin fired six shots at President Ronald Reagan.

Who was hit by the first shot fired by the would-be assassin?

The first shot hit Jim Brady, the press secretary.

What happened to Tom Delahanty, the DC police officer, during the shooting?

Tom Delahanty was hit in the back by the second shot and fell down.

What was the effective range of the assassin's weapon, and had the assassin practiced target shooting?

The assassin had an effective range of 20 to 30 feet and had done target practice.

Who was credited with helping save President Reagan's life during the shooting?

Tim McCarthy, a Secret Service agent, was credited with helping save President Reagan's life.

How did the bullet that hit President Reagan end up inside him?

The bullet that hit President Reagan ricocheted off the back quarter panel of the limousine and lodged in his lung.

What was the code name used for Ronald Reagan, and where was it used in the script?

Ronald Reagan's code name was 'Rawhide Down,' which was used in the script when Jerry Parr radioed that 'Raw is OK.'

Why did Jerry Parr decide to take President Reagan to the emergency room of George Washington Hospital instead of the White House?

Jerry Parr decided to take President Reagan to the emergency room because Reagan was having trouble breathing and showed signs of oxygen deprivation from the lungs, indicating a serious injury.

Outlines

00:00

🔫 Assassination Attempt on President Reagan

On March 30th, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was targeted by a would-be assassin who fired six shots outside the Washington Hilton hotel. The first shot hit James Brady, the press secretary, in the head. The second hit Tom Delahanty, a DC police officer. The would-be assassin, Hinckley, had an effective range and was prepared to hit stationary targets. Jerry Parr, the lead Secret Service agent, reacted swiftly, pushing Reagan behind another agent, Tim McCarthy, who took a bullet in the chest. The third shot missed Reagan and lodged in a building window, while the fourth hit McCarthy. The fifth shot hit the armored limousine's window, and the sixth ricocheted off the limousine, hitting Reagan in the chest. Parr quickly got Reagan into the limousine and drove away, initially heading back to the White House but later diverting to George Washington Hospital after realizing Reagan was injured, with bright, frothy blood indicating a lung issue. The agents used code names to communicate to avoid alerting potential assassins or the media.

05:00

🏥 Emergency Diversion to Hospital

After the assassination attempt on President Reagan, the initial plan was to return to the White House. However, Jerry Parr, noticing the president's difficulty in breathing and the presence of blood, made the critical decision to divert to George Washington Hospital for emergency treatment. The use of code names in communication was crucial to maintain secrecy about the president's condition and to prevent any further security threats.

Keywords

💡Assassin

An assassin is a person who murders a prominent personage for political or monetary reasons. In the video's context, the would-be assassin is John Hinckley Jr., who fired shots at President Ronald Reagan. The term is central to understanding the video's theme of an attempted presidential assassination.

💡Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan was the 40th President of the United States. His role in the video is as the target of the assassination attempt. Understanding his significance is crucial for grasping the gravity of the event described in the video.

💡Washington Hilton

The Washington Hilton is the location outside of which the assassination attempt occurred. It is relevant to the video's theme as it sets the scene for the historical event being discussed.

💡Dell Wilber

Dell Wilber is a Washington Post reporter and author of 'Rawhide Down,' a book about the Reagan assassination attempt. His presence in the video provides a journalistic perspective and firsthand account of the event.

💡Jim Brady

Jim Brady was the White House Press Secretary who was shot in the head during the assassination attempt. His injury is a key element of the video's narrative, illustrating the personal impact of the event.

💡Secret Service

The Secret Service is a federal law enforcement agency responsible for the safety of the President of the United States. In the video, Jerry Parr, a lead Secret Service agent, plays a critical role in protecting President Reagan during the shooting.

💡Tim McCarthy

Tim McCarthy is a Secret Service agent who took a bullet in the chest while protecting President Reagan. His actions are highlighted in the video as an example of the bravery and dedication of the Secret Service.

💡Bulletproof

Bulletproof refers to the ability of an object to withstand bullets, often used in the context of vehicles like the presidential limousine. The video discusses the bulletproof window that was hit but did not allow the bullet to penetrate, emphasizing the technology's role in protecting the president.

💡Ricochet

A ricochet is the deflection of a bullet or other object when it strikes a surface at an angle, causing it to bounce off. In the video, the sixth shot ricocheted off the limousine, which is a significant detail in the chain of events that led to Reagan's injury.

💡Code Name

A code name is a word or phrase used to identify a person or object secretly. In the video, 'Rawhide Down' is the code name for President Reagan, used in communications to maintain secrecy and security during the crisis.

💡Emergency Room

The emergency room is the section of a hospital that provides immediate care to patients with acute health problems. The video describes the decision to take President Reagan to the emergency room of George Washington Hospital, highlighting the urgency and severity of his condition.

Highlights

On March 30th, 1981, a would-be assassin fired six shots at President Ronald Reagan outside the Washington Hilton Hotel.

The first shot hit Jim Brady, the press secretary, in the head.

The second shot hit Tom Delahanty, a DC police officer, in the back.

The path to President Reagan was now clear, with the assassin having an effective range of 20 to 30 feet.

Jerry Parr, the lead Secret Service agent, acted swiftly to protect the president within 1.5 seconds of the gunfire.

The third shot flew over Reagan's head and lodged in a window across the street.

The fourth shot hit Tim McCarthy, a Secret Service agent, who turned to shield the president.

The fifth shot hit the bulletproof window of the armored limousine.

The sixth shot ricocheted off the limousine, hitting Reagan and later being removed from his body.

Jerry Parr noticed the bullet's impact on the limousine and the three men down on the sidewalk.

Parr checked Reagan for blood and initially felt reassured when he found none.

Reagan reported difficulty breathing and displayed signs of a lung-related injury.

Parr made the decision to divert to George Washington Hospital instead of the White House.

Code names were used in radio communications to avoid alerting potential assassins or the media.

The transcript details the quick thinking and actions of Secret Service agents during the assassination attempt.

The account provides a vivid description of the scene and the immediate aftermath of the shooting.

Dell Wilber, author of 'Rawhide Down,' recounts the events with a focus on the Secret Service's response.

Transcripts

on March 30th 1981 a wouldbe Assassin

fired six shots at president ronald

reagan outside the Washington Hilton

hotel two Miles from the White House

Washington post reporter Dell wilber

author of rawhide down the near

assassination of ronald reagan met us on

the sidewalk Where the Shooting took

place to tell his Story Of that day She

SH six shots the first One Hits Jim

brady the press Secretary in the head he

Falls down The Second One Hits Tom dely

Who's a DC police officer WHO turned

around to Check on the president's

progress he gets hit in the back Falls

Down screams I'm hit Hits the ground now

the path of the president is clear It's

Wide Open hinkley has An effective Range

of 20 to 30 feet He has He's done target

practice He can hit stationary targets

20-3 feet Jerry par the Lead Secret

service agent reagan's Lead Secret

service agent meanwhile in 41 Of A

second I've tried to time it It's very

difficult but about 41 Of A second has

grabbed the president United States the

moment he hears the gunfire thrust

behind tim mccarthy Who is now another

Secret service Agents Who swivel his

body takes a Bullet in in the chest the

first Bullet Hits brady The Second One

Hits del Hy the third One flies over

reagan's head and lodges in a Window of

that Building across the street They

actually recover it There's A Kind of a

cool photo of the little Bullet hole in

one of those lobby Windows the fourth

one Hits mccarthy Who's turned like this

to take the Bullet He's not wearing a

Bullet proof vest Hits them right in the

chest bends them around just as they're

behind them Jerry Park credits tim

mccarthy with helping save the

president's life for that moment the

next Bullet Hits the window of the the

armored Limo Window so the bulletproof

window just As You can see the president

flashing behind it with Jerry Park

pushing him in the Limousine And The Six

One cracks across the parking lot no one

knows Where that One went at that moment

then Jerry Park gets them in the Limo

someone slams the door Shut and so they

Drive away and the head straight out

this way towards Uh connecticut Avenue

at that moment what they didn't know at

the time was hinkley Final shot the

sixth one had ricochet off the back

quarter Panel of Limousine actually They

they recovered the Black paint match it

to the Limousine off the Bullet that was

later removed from the president and as

reagan's diving it Hits him right here

on this side right around here and

lodges in intram heart We're going to

get in a taxi and follow the ride of the

Limousine and and do you think this is

roughly the way it was parked this was

roughly Pretty close it was this

Direction like this out there towards t

street so Uh Jerry par the agent you

know looks out the window and sees

There's a po Mark on the that Door and

that Window Where the Bullet has your

Window

and he also notices the three guys down

the sidewalk as they pull away he goes

now This is bad There's been a Shooting

he props reagan up in the seat your in

props him up kind of like this reagan's

kind of like this a um like a tired

basketball Player and he runs his body

inside his J coat coat and his hands

through his Hair to check see if There's

any Blood and there's no Blood so he

feels Pretty good and He tells the

driver to tell on his radio cuz Jerry

pars Lost his radio bust off from his

sleeve mic in the melee and he Lost his

transponder and so he he can't use his

radio to tell everyone What they're

doing so He tells drew and r to use the

the microphone here to radio down to

headquarters that they're heading back

to White House actually use the code

word Uh crown and He takes the radio

from Dr and says Raw is ok Raw hde is ok

Raw hde is Uh ronald reagan's code name

That's where I got the the title of the

book

from

[Vỗ tay]

[âm nhạc]

is you to to hpal back to the White

House We Going to

crown back to the White House back to

the White House Is about right about

here Jerry par realizes that Something's

wrong with the president buse He's

having trouble breathing he says I'm

having Trouble breathing I don't know

What's wrong are you having a Heart

Attack is it your heart and you know reg

says I don't think so and Then He starts

dabbing Blood from his Lips and it's

Bright and frothy Blood and from par

Training he knows that that means It's

oxygen prob from the lungs That isn't

good and so Jerry par has to make a

call rog We want to go to the Emergency

room of George

Washington

because he can't say on the radio regan

Hurt they don't use regan name They

Don't Want they know people in Assassins

and News Media can be listening to the

Open radio communications hence they use

the code names and so they abandon crown

the White House Go to

um the

hospital