James Brady—the White House press secretary who survived being shot in the head during the attempted 1981 assassination of President Ronald Reagan and became a gun-control activist—has died at age 73. From Reuters:
Brady spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair after being shot, but, with wife Sarah, campaigned for a gun law that would be known as the “Brady bill.” The law, which was passed in 1993, required a mandatory five-day waiting period for purchase of handguns and also background checks for would-be gun buyers.
Many types of gun sales are not subject to Brady Act background check restrictions. Here’s a Washington Post piece about how gun control politics have changed—not necessarily for the better, if you’re on Brady’s side of the argument—since 1993.
Brady’s death was announced by his family, but the cause of his death was not immediately available.
