The Chronicle 76th Year, No. 124 Duke University, Durham, North Carolina Tuesday, March 31, 1981 Reagan stable after shooting By Howell Raines Hinckley, who eyewitnesses sidewalk, critically wounded. Service agent writhed in pain raincoat, pinning him against a « 1961 NYT News Service said fired six shots at the Reagan, apparently at first on the rain-slick sidewalk. stone wall. "Get him out," a WASHINGTON - President presidential entourage from a unaware that he had been Nearby, a District of Columbia gun-waving officer yelled as the Reagsan was seriously wounded position among the television wounded, was shoved forcefully plainclothesman fell alongside president's limousine sped yesterday in an assassination camera crews and reporters by a Secret Service agent into Brady. The press secretary lay away. At first, it raced down attempt by a lone gunman who assembled outside a hotel exit. the presidential limousine that face down, blood from a Connecticut Avenue toward the also seriously wounded the sped, with the president in a gushing head wound dripping White House. White House press secretary A look of stunned disbelief sitting position in the backseat, into a steel grate. A pistol, and shot two law officers. swept across Reagan's face as a to the George Washington apparently dropped by the Only then, according to some Reagan was hit in the left side bullet struck him just as he University Hospital. officer, lay near his head. reports, was it discovered that ofthe chest during a rapid series raised his left arm to wave to the At the sixth shot, uniformed Reagan was bleeding and the of gun shots that rang out at crowd and as his press secretary, Behind him lay a scene of and plainclothes agents piled vehicle turned west toward the approximately 2:30 p.m., as James S. Brady, fell to the carnage and turmoil. A Secret on a blond-haired man in a hospital. Reagan left the Washington Hilton Hotel after addressing a Upon learning of the shooting, lahor union meeting. Vice President George Bush left The president was described Dallas friends say Hinckley Austin, Texas, where he was as in good and stable condition speaking, for the capital. At the after a two-hour operation that White House, the administra­ ended about 5:30 p.m. A tion's crisis management plan hospital official said surgeons was bright, shy and athletic was put into effect within removed a single .22 caliber minutes after the assassination bullet that struck Reagan's By Scott McCartney center of Dallas, in 1966 and had attended high school attempt. seventh rib, penetrating the ® 1981 The Chronicle moved to Evergreen, Colo., in basketball games with the 25- lung by three inches and John Warnock Hinckley Jr., the mid-70s. year-old Evergreen, Colo.;, Secretary of State Alexander collapsing the lung. ihe man accused of shooting Garrott and others described resident. M. Haig Jr. and other top President Ronald Reagan and Hinckley as an average Cabinet officers gathered "He is alert and should be "He had above average immediately in the White House three others, was described individual from an affluent intelligence, especially in math able to make decisions by yesterday as intelligent, fairly family. situation room. Haig, citing tomorrow," said Dr. Dennis and science as I remember," Constitutional provisions for athletic, but not very social by Family friends called Garrott said. "I think I O'Leary, dean of clinical affairs a Duke graduate who went to Hinckley's parents community presidential succession, at George Washington Univer­ remember him as having a announced that he was "in high school with him. leaders and "fine citizens," general awareness of what's sity. Noting that Reagan's lung who fund a program to feed control" ofthe Reagan adminis­ has been re-inflated, O'Leary Hinckley graduated in 1973 going on." tration's "crisis management" from Highland Park High poor people in Africa and said that the president "was Central America. Garrott, who now works for team, pending Bush's return. never in any serious danger" School, a school of approxi­ mately 1,500 students in "I remember him as a fairly Mercantile National Bank in since the bullet did not damage quiet, somewhat withdrawn Dallas, continued: "He was a Bush arrived at the White the heart. O'Leary said Reagan Dallas, Texas, said Frank Garrott, a classmate who guy. He was fairly athletic — I pretty regular guy, a little House by helicopter from probably would be hospitalized can remember him throwing a quieter than average, and had Andrews Air Force Base at 6:59 for about two weeks. graduated from Duke in 1976. softball around Jeft-handed," a fairly good sense of humor." p.m. His Marine helicopter The Hinckleys moved to landed near the reflecting pool Authorities arrested a 25- Highland Park, a suburb in the said Garrott, adding that he See Hinckley on page 4 year-old Colorado man, John W. See Reagan on page 5 Medical, public policy implications examined Doctors: Reagan will be OK Gun position From staff and wire reports his left arm, traveled three As long as President Ronald inches downward and ricocheted won't change Reagan's wound is confined to off his seventh rib, penetrating By Ilene G. Reid his lung and does not involve three inches into his lung. In spite of the attempt on his his heart and major arteries, Doctors found no bleeding in life, President Ronald Reagan "he should be OK," William G. Reagan's abdominal cavity and probably won't alter his stance Anlyan, vice presidentof health no damage to his heart or vital on gun control, a faculty affairs and professor in the blood vessels. member who has researched department of surgery, said Immediately after he was gun control laws and policies yesterday. said yesterday. "If his heart or major vessels admitted to the hospital, were involved, he would not Reagan was treated for a Philip Cook, associate have been able to walk into the collapsed lung. After checking professor of policy studies, said hospital as he did and he for abdominal bleeding, that during his campaign, probably would not have been surgeons made a six-inch Reagan "rather solidly" conscious prior to surgery," incision in Reagan's chest just opposed further federal Anlyan said, citing press below the left nipple to treat his regulations to control the sale reports that Reagan entered lung injury and remove the and possession of handguns. George Washington University bullet. Hospital under his own power. Anlyan predicted that "What he often stressed Reagan probably will have few, during the campaign is that we Reagan underwent a two- should have a policy of hour exploratory operation if any, further complications. yesterday at 4 p.m. at the "There is a very small chance of sentencing criminals who use handguns more seriously than hospital after a gunshot wound infection and blood clotting in PHOTO BY HEATHER MacKENZIE penetrated his left lung. The an operation like this," he said. CONCERN AND SHOCK — Duke students react to those who don't," Cook said. bullet entered near the armpit of See Surgery on page 4 assassination attempt. See story on page 2. See Gun control on page 2 Page Two The Chronicle Tuesday, March 31, 1981 Students shocked over shooting OurWorld By John Ayers said freshman Doug Peterson. and Cindy Brister "I was surprised — I thought someone would get News of the assassination attempt against angry over all of his planned cuts, but I didn't think Former congressman to speak President Ronald Reagan filtered through the campus anything would happen this early," said Trinity yesterday, slowly at first and then building gradually freshman Ken Mack. Former Congressman Paul Rogers will speak on into a crescendo of shock that overwhelmed normal Several students noted the irony in Reagan's stance "Health Issues for the '80s" at 8:15 p.m. talk about classes and weekend activities. on handgun control and the attempt on his life. "I Wednesday in Gross Chemical Auditorium. "I couldn't believe it," said history graduate student remember Reagan on the air after John Lennon [was Rogers served in the U.S. House of Tom Melville. "It's a horrible thing . shocking." shot], saying this shouldn't have an effect on Representatives for 24 years and was chairman of "At first I heard he was just shot at — which is handguns," commented a woman in the C.I. the House Subcommittee on Health and the shocking in itself," said a woman who asked not to be Political science professor James David Barber was Environment for eight years. identified. more emphatic: "Maybe we ought to give a .38 caliber The speech is sponsored by the Round Table "Emotionally, it didn't hit me until I saw the to every man, woman and child and let the NRA Science and Public Affairs. videotapes . and the shocked faces of people [National Rifle Association] run the place," he said. "I walking in the C.I.," said senior Lisa Vollach. "I was don't like the idea of nutty people running around with really upset." guns ready to kill presidents and press secretaries." Arabian film festival Many students said they found it hard to believe The superstition that every president elected in a The Arabic Film Festival, sponsored by Islamic that an assasination attempt had been made so early year ending in zero has died in office also came to the and Arabian Development Studies, will be held in the administration. "I'm not terribly surprised that minds of numerous students. from 6 p.m. until 11 p.m. Thursday and Friday in it happened — I'm surprised that it happened so fast," See Students on page 5 Zener Auditorium.