BBC - Infamous Assassinations (2007) Part 16 Ronald Reagan

Get ready to witness the 20th Century's most damaging and outrageous assassination attempts, first-hand. From the assassination of John F Kennedy to the gunning down of Mahatma Gandhi, the tragic shooting of John Lennon to the brutal bombing of one of Hitler's henchmen, the BBC series Infamous Assassinations brings you as close to the killers as the cameramen themselves - which sometimes means just a few feet.

Using rare archive footage and reconstructions, each episode of this BBC documentary series focuses on a different story, from attacks on royalty, politicians and guerrilla leaders to media personalities who all, for one reason or another, stepped in the way of an assassin determined to bring their life to an end. Many of their motives have remained shrouded in mystery. Until now…

Part 16: Attempt on Ronald Reagan

Washington, 1981

On 30 March 1981, as US President Ronald Reagan was leaving the Washington Hilton Hotel, 25-year-old John Hinckley III fired six shots from a .22 revolver. One of the bullets missed Reagan's heart by three inches. His famous quote to his wife was, “Honey, I forgot to duck.” One of his top aides was not so fortunate.