The Day the President Was Shot by Bill O'Reilly

Author:Bill O'Reilly
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781627797009
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

A 1972 presidential limousine, a Ford Lincoln Continental. [Wikimedia]

CHAPTER 30

WASHINGTON HILTON HOTEL

MARCH 30, 1981

AT ALMOST THE EXACT TIME Hinckley arrives at the Hilton, Ronald Reagan gets into his 1972 Lincoln Continental. The Secret Service calls the car Stagecoach and the president Rawhide, references to the westerns he loves. Secretary of Labor Raymond Donovan joins him in the backseat.

Several vehicles carrying members of Reagan’s staff, White House physician Dr. Daniel Ruge, and many Secret Service agents make up the motorcade. It is a 1.3-mile drive to the Hilton.

Press Secretary James Brady is also in the caravan. At the last moment, he decided to make the trip to hear what Reagan will say.

At 1:51 P.M., the presidential motorcade arrives at the Hilton.

* * *

John Hinckley stands in the crowd of spectators behind the security rope, watching the motorcade approach. The main entrance of the Hilton is behind him. The president will not enter through that door. Instead, he will use the canopy-covered VIP entrance just forty feet away.

The assassin feels an unlikely burst of excitement at the prospect of seeing Reagan in person. Hinckley pats the pistol in his right pocket. Ample time at the rifle range has prepared him for what is to come. He knows the .22-caliber Röhm must be fired at close range for peak accuracy, and the spot where he now stands is well within the pistol’s optimal range of ninety feet.

Hinckley surveys the scene. More than two dozen Secret Service agents are ready to protect the president. Hotel security and Washington police also crowd around the Hilton, including two police officers facing the crowd on the other side of the security rope. Hinckley notices that there are some Secret Service agents on nearby rooftops.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.