August 5, 2014
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Brady was confined to a wheelchair after being shot by John Hinckley, Jr. Surviving the shooting but permanently paralyzed, he gave up his support of guns and friends like the NRA, to become one of the most outspoken and leading voices in support of gun control.
“Jim touched the lives of so many and has been a wonderful husband, father, friend and role model,” his family said in a statement. “We are enormously proud of Jim’s remarkable accomplishments – before he was shot on the fateful day in 1981 while serving at the side of President Ronald Reagan and in the days, months and years that followed. Jim Brady’s zest for life was apparent to all who knew him, and despite his injuries and the pain he endured every day, he used his humor, wit and charm to bring smiles to others and make the world a better place.”
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“Jim is a legend at the White House,” President Obama said in a statement, “for his warmth and professionalism as press secretary for President Reagan; for the strength he brought to bear in recovering from the shooting that nearly killed him 33 years ago; and for turning the events of that terrible afternoon into a remarkable legacy of service through the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Since 1993, the law that bears Jim’s name has kept guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals. An untold number of people are alive today who otherwise wouldn’t be, thanks to Jim.”
In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act into law. The White House Briefing Room was also named in his honor.
James Brady was 73.
I'm sorry he had to live so much of his life in a wheelchair, and glad that he is free of it now.