On August 4, 2014, James S. Brady, a 73-year-old male of Irish descent, died in a retirement community in Alexandria, Virginia. While his passing occurred more than three decades after the event that would forever alter the course of his life, a medical examiner ruled his death a homicide. The cause of death was determined to be the long-lasting consequences of a gunshot wound he sustained in 1981.
His family stated that he passed away after experiencing a series of health issues stemming from his injuries.
The origins of his death trace back to March 30, 1981, outside the Washington Hilton Hotel. On that day, John Hinckley Jr. opened fire in an attempt to assassinate President Ronald Reagan. Brady, who was serving as Reagan's press secretary, was the first person struck by a bullet. The. 22 caliber bullet hit him above his left eye, shattered, and caused severe brain damage. In the immediate aftermath, several major news outlets erroneously reported that he had died from the grievous injury. Though he survived hours of delicate surgery, the shooting left him with debilitating and permanent health problems, including partial paralysis that often required him to use a wheelchair, slurred speech, short-term memory impairment, and constant pain.
Following the medical examiner's ruling that Brady's death was a homicide, the D.C. Metro Police opened a murder investigation. This raised the possibility that John Hinckley Jr., the man who shot Brady, could face murder charges. Hinckley had been found not guilty by reason of insanity for the 1981 attack and was committed to a psychiatric hospital. Ultimately, federal prosecutors announced they would not file new charges against Hinckley for Brady's death. This decision was, in part, due to the legal principle that protects a person from being tried twice for the same crime and a law in effect in the District of Columbia at the time of the shooting that barred prosecution in this case.
