On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot by John W. Hinckley Jr. as he left a Washington hotel. National Security Adviser Richard Allen and other key members of the cabinet met shortly afterward in the White House Situation Room to manage the crisis and keep the government on course. Presciently, Allen decided to forgo normal practice for the Situation Room and made an audio tape of the...

On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot by John W. Hinckley Jr. as he left a Washington hotel. National Security Adviser Richard Allen and other key members of the cabinet met shortly afterward in the White House Situation Room to manage the crisis and keep the government on course. Presciently, Allen decided to forgo normal practice for the Situation Room and made an audio tape of the...