The 73 year old James Brady, former press secretary and former chair of the Brady Campaign to Reduce Gun Violence (re-named from the more accurate “Handgun Control, Inc.”), died earlier this week. Mr. Brady became a vocal advocate for forced civilian disarmament after being shot in an assassination attempt while serving as press secretary to President Ronald Reagan. Now, thirty-three years after the incident, James Brady has died and the medical examiner has ruled his death a homicide.
Brady was shot in the head and partly paralyzed, spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair and advocating against gun violence.
His family said in a statement that he died from health issues at 73. But a Virginia medical examiner has ruled the case a homicide, prompting a new investigation, Metropolitan Police spokeswoman Gwen Crump said.
It isn’t exactly clear whether the medical examiner is considering the 33 year old gunshot injury the cause of death or if there is other foul play afoot, but it’s definitely an unexpected twist. If the old gunshot wound is indeed the source of the medical examiner’s determination, I wonder if Moms Demand Action will start listing every person who died after being shot (no matter how insignificant the injury or ancient the wound) as “victims of gun violence.” I definitely wouldn’t put it past them . . .