who did ronald reagan get shot by?
John Hinckley, Jr.
entailment
 On March 30 , 1981 , only 69 days into the new administration , Reagan , his press secretary James Brady , Washington police officer Thomas Delahanty , and Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy were struck by gunfire from would @-@ be assassin John Hinckley Jr . , outside the Washington Hilton Hotel . Although " close to death " upon arrival at George Washington University Hospital , Reagan was stabilized in the emergency room , then underwent emergency exploratory surgery . He recovered and was released from the hospital on April 11 , becoming the first serving U.S. President to survive being shot in an assassination attempt . The attempt had great influence on Reagan 's popularity ; polls indicated his approval rating to be around 73 % . Reagan believed that God had spared his life so that he might go on to fulfill a greater purpose . 

entailment
 = = = 1981 : Reagan assassination attempt = = = 

entailment
 Reagan assumed the role of unofficial " protector " for her husband after the attempted assassination on his life in 1981 . On March 30 of that year , President Reagan and three others were shot as they left the Washington Hilton Hotel . Nancy was alerted and arrived at George Washington University Hospital , where the President was hospitalized . She recalled having seen " emergency rooms before , but I had never seen one like this – with my husband in it . " She was escorted into a waiting room , and when granted access to see her husband , he quipped to her , " Honey , I forgot to duck " , borrowing the defeated boxer Jack Dempsey 's jest to his wife . 

entailment
 On March 30 , 1981 , early into the administration , Reagan was shot and seriously wounded in Washington , D.C. Bush , second in command by the presidential line of succession , was in Fort Worth , Texas , and flew back to Washington immediately . Reagan 's cabinet convened in the White House Situation Room , where they discussed various issues , including the availability of the Nuclear Football . When Bush 's plane landed , his aides advised him to proceed directly to the White House by helicopter , as an image of the government still functioning despite the attack . Bush rejected the idea , responding , " Only the President lands on the South Lawn . " This made a positive impression on Reagan , who recovered and returned to work within two weeks . From then on , the two men would have regular Thursday lunches in the Oval Office . 

entailment
 Reagan was involved in high @-@ profile conflicts with the protest movements of the era . On May 15 , 1969 , during the People 's Park protests at UC Berkeley , Reagan sent the California Highway Patrol and other officers to quell the protests , in an incident that became known as " Bloody Thursday , " resulting in the death of student James Rector and the blinding of carpenter Alan Blanchard . Reagan then called out 2 @,@ 200 state National Guard troops to occupy the city of Berkeley for two weeks to crack down on the protesters . A year after " Bloody Thursday , " Reagan responded to questions about campus protest movements saying , " If it takes a bloodbath , let 's get it over with . No more appeasement . " When the Symbionese Liberation Army kidnapped Patty Hearst in Berkeley and demanded the distribution of food to the poor , Reagan joked to a group of political aides about a botulism outbreak contaminating the food . Conversely , in that one afternoon , " Bloody Thursday , " 111 police officers were injured , including one C.H.P. officer who was knifed in the chest . After calling in the National Guard , the Guard remained in Berkeley for 17 days , camping in People 's Park , and demonstrations subsided as the University removed cordoned @-@ off fencing and placed all development plans for People 's Park on hold . 
