Rawhide Down_ The Near Assassination of Ronald Reagan - Del Quentin Wilber [125]
Unrue, having parked: Interviews with Unrue and Dennis Fabel, who was driving the follow-up car, as well as their Secret Service reports, FBI reports, and Treasury report.
A heckler had caused: Interview with Fury; Fury testimony; Secret Service reports. In this photograph, you can clearly make out Hinckley’s face in the back of the crowd, as if he is standing on his tiptoes to see over the heads of those in front of him.
they allowed the Hilton’s: Hilton security officer Secret Service report.
As departure time neared: Interviews with Unrue, Gordon, and Fabel; those agents’ Secret Service and FBI reports; Treasury report.
to about twenty-five people: Interview with Granger; an unnamed D.C. police officer estimated the crowd size at twenty-five, according to a Secret Service report.
6: 2:27 P.M.
Agent Jerry Parr stood backstage: Interview with Parr.
the four thousand union members: Treasury report.
The crowd rose to its feet: Audio and video of event, RRPL.
Parr moved to the edge: Interview with Parr; video of event, RRPL.
They took the stairs up from the ground: Interviews with various Secret Service agents.
One agent aimed for the rope line: Dennis McCarthy Secret Service report.
another trotted along: Green Secret Service report (redacted).
a third angled for the limousine’s right front fender: Varey Secret Service report; interview with Varey.
A fifth, carrying an Uzi: Bob Wanko Secret Service report.
A sixth, Tim McCarthy: Interview with Tim McCarthy; Tim McCarthy Secret Service report.
Jerry Parr’s wife, Carolyn: Interview with Carolyn Parr.
The crowd outside the VIP: Interview with Granger; government psychiatric report; Treasury report; various Secret Service reports.
The reporters and cameramen who: Interviews with Sam Donaldson, Lou Cannon, and Ron Edmonds; Lou Cannon, “The Shooting: The Shooting Scene,” WP, March 31, 1981, p. A1; Michael Putzel, “The Presidential Smile Disappears,” AP, March 31, 1981; Gilbert Lewthewaite, “A Reporter Who Witnessed the Attack Recalls the ‘Bloody Seconds,’ the Chaos,” Baltimore Sun, March 31, 1981, p. 1; wire services, “‘You Shot at My President, I’ll Kill You,’” Miami Herald, April 2, 1981, p. A21; Fred Barnes, “Routineness of President’s Visit to Hotel May Have Abetted Gunman,” Baltimore Sun, March 31, 1981, p. A6; Tom Collins, “They Were There When Bullets Flew,” Quad-City Times, March 31, 1981, p. 3.
“Press, press, let us through!”: Government psychiatric report.
“No, we were here first!” screamed: Government psychiatric report.
“They think they can do anything they want!”: AP radio reporter Secret Service report.
Seconds behind him, David Fischer: Interview with Ahearn.
Mike Deaver and Jim Brady: Deaver, Behind the Scenes, p. 16; Dickenson, Thumbs Up, p. 63.
Reagan saw the same reporters: Reagan FBI report.
did plan to make one dramatic gesture: Reagan FBI report.
Jerry Parr slid a step behind: Interview with Parr; Parr Secret Service report; Parr FBI report (redacted).
carried a bulletproof steel slab: Interview with Shaddick.
eighteen inches behind: Parr FBI report (redacted).
If an attack had occurred: Interview with Parr.
his plan changed: Interview with Parr.
Tim McCarthy, Parr’s point man: Tim McCarthy Secret Service report; Tim McCarthy FBI report; video of shooting, various television networks.
Instantly, Parr’s left hand: Interview with Parr; slow-motion video of shooting, USAO.
the corner of his eye: Interview with Parr.
Parr’s mind raced: Interview with Parr.
John Hinckley couldn’t believe his luck: Government psychiatric report; Johnson testimony.
felt exceedingly calm: Government psychiatric report.
even now he wondered: Johnson testimony. Johnson testified that Hinckley thought, “Should I, should I pull out the gun and start firing?”
he saw himself dying: Government psychiatric report.
then he crouched: Interview with Granger; Granger testimony.