John Hinckley Jr., the man who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981, has a surprising connection to Lubbock, Texas. Hinckley attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock from 1973 to 1980, although he never graduated.

The Assassination Attempt

On March 30, 1981, Hinckley fired six shots from a semi-automatic rifle outside the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., where President Reagan was speaking. The president was seriously wounded, along with White House Press Secretary James Brady, Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy, and Washington police officer Thomas Delahanty.

Hinckley’s motive for the shooting was his obsession with actress Jodie Foster, whom he believed would be impressed by his attempt to assassinate the president. However, his plan did not work, and he was later found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Lubbock’s Reaction

When reporters discovered Hinckley’s connection to Texas Tech, Lubbock suddenly found itself at the center of a national story. Some media outlets portrayed Texas Tech and Lubbock in an exaggerated and unflattering light, suggesting that the city was a place where students carried guns and that the university was a breeding ground for violence.

However, this portrayal was not accurate, and it did not reflect the true nature of the city or the university. Texas Tech professor Bill Dean recalled that the national media attention was overwhelming and that some reports were exaggerated and unfair.

Hinckley is not the only person connected to Lubbock who has been involved in a major federal investigation. In 2011, Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, a Saudi Arabian student living in Lubbock, was arrested and later convicted of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.

Original reporting: News/Talk 790 KFYO (Lubbock) — read the source article.