James S Brady, 73, died on August 4, 2014, in a retirement community in Alexandria, Virginia. A medical examiner ruled his death a homicide, finding the cause to be the long-term consequences of a .22 caliber gunshot wound he suffered on March 30, 1981, outside the Washington Hilton Hotel.

Brady was serving as President Reagan’s press secretary when John Hinckley Jr. opened fire; the bullet struck above Brady’s left eye, shattered, and inflicted severe brain damage. He survived surgery but lived with partial paralysis, slurred speech, short-term memory impairment, and chronic pain for the rest of his life. After the ruling, the D.C. Metro Police opened a murder investigation and federal prosecutors later decided not to file new charges against Hinckley, who had been found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a psychiatric hospital, with additional legal obstacles noted in the decision.

Does anyone have memories of Brady’s life or the aftermath of the 1981 shooting that could add context to this case?