White House Correspondents’ dinner shooting revives haunting memories of Ronald Reagan’s attempted assassination at same hotel over 40 years ago; what happened then

The shooting at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., during the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night (April 25, 2026) was not the first time a US president’s life had been in jeopardy at the hotel. The security incident, which saw President Trump rushed from the stage, unfolded at the same venue where more than 40 years earlier another sitting president had nearly lost his life.

Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr. in an attempted assassination while leaving the Washington Hilton on March 30, 1981. He sustained serious injuries by a gunshot wound that punctured a lung and caused severe internal bleeding.

What Happened on March 30, 1981

The attempted assassination of Reagan, the 40th President, took place on March 30, 1981, while he was leaving the Hilton Hotel after talking to 5,000 members of the AFL-CIO when several shots were fired, according to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library website.

John Hinckley, Jr., fired his .22 caliber revolver with “devastator” bullets at the president and his security team. Reagan was wounded when one of the bullets ricocheted off of the limousine, striking him under the left armpit.

The shooting also wounded Press Secretary James Brady, Secret Service Agent Timothy McCarthy, and policeman Thomas Delahanty. President Reagan’s wounds were not noticed until he began to cough up blood. He was rushed to the George Washington University Hospital. After twelve days in the hospital, he was able to return to the White House.

White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the White House Correspondents' Association dinner by Secret Service agents after a man armed with a shotgun tried to breach security, officials said.

A man armed with a ‌shotgun fired ⁠at a ⁠Secret Service agent, an FBI official told Reuters. The agent was hit in an area covered by protective gear and not harmed, the official said.

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