John Lennon was an English musician who
gained worldwide fame as one of the founders of
The Beatles, for his subsequent solo career, and
for his political activism and pacifism. He was
shot by Mark David Chapman at the entrance of
the building where he lived, The Dakota, in New
York City, on Monday, 8 December 1980; Lennon
had just returned from Record Plant Studio with
his wife, Yoko Ono.
Lennon was pronounced dead on arrival at St.
Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, where it was
stated that nobody could have lived for more
than a few minutes after sustaining such injuries.
Shortly after local news stations reported
Lennon's death, crowds gathered at Roosevelt
Hospital and in front of The Dakota. He was
cremated on 10 December 1980, at the Ferncliff
Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York; the ashes were
given to Ono, who chose not to hold a funeral for
him. The first report of his death to a national
audience was announced by Howard Cosell, on
ABC's Monday Night Football.
Events preceding his death
8 December 1980
Leibovitz's portrait of Lennon and Ono, taken 8
December 1980
On the afternoon of 8 December 1980,
photographer Annie Leibovitz went to Ono and
Lennon's apartment at 2:00pm to do a photo
shoot for Rolling Stone magazine.[2] Leibovitz
promised Lennon that a photo with Ono would
make the front cover of the magazine, but initially
tried to get a picture with just Lennon alone.[3]
Leibovitz recalled that "nobody wanted [Ono] on
the cover".[4] Lennon then insisted that both he
and his wife be on the cover, and after taking the
pictures, Leibovitz left their apartment at 3:30pm.
[2] After the photo shoot, Lennon gave what
would be his last interview to a San Francisco DJ,
Dave Sholin, for a music show on the RKO Radio
Network.[5] At 5:00 pm, Lennon and Ono left
their apartment to mix the song "Walking on Thin
Ice"; an Ono song featuring Lennon on lead
guitar, at the Record Plant Studio.[6]
Mark David Chapman
As Lennon and Ono walked to their limousine,
they were approached by several people seeking
autographs, among them, Chapman.[7] It was
common for fans to wait outside the Dakota to
meet Lennon and ask for his autograph.[8]
Chapman, a 25-year-old security guard from
Honolulu, Hawaii, had first come to New York to
murder Lennon in October (before the release of
Double Fantasy), but changed his mind and
returned home.[9] Chapman silently handed
Lennon a copy of Double Fantasy, and Lennon
obliged with an autograph.[7] After signing the
album, Lennon asked him, "Is this all you want?"
Chapman smiled and nodded in agreement.
Photographer and Lennon fan Paul Goresh took a
photo of the encounter.[10] Chapman had been
waiting for Lennon outside the Dakota since mid
morning and had even approached the Lennons'
young son Sean with the family nanny Helen
Seaman as they returned to the Dakota in the
afternoon, allegedly, according to Chapman
himself, briefly touching the boy's hand as he
was introduced to the waiting 'fan' himself.
Lennon signing Chapman's Double Fantasy
album a few hours before the shooting
The Lennons spent several hours at the Record
Plant studio before returning to the Dakota at
approximately 10:50 pm.[11] Lennon had decided
against dining out so he could be home in time to
say goodnight to his five-year-old son, Sean,
before going to the Stage Deli restaurant with
Ono.[11] Lennon liked to oblige any fans who had
been waiting for long periods of time to meet him
with autographs or pictures, once saying during
an interview with BBC Radio's Andy Peebles,[12]
on 5 December 1980: "People come and ask for
autographs, or say 'Hi', but they don't bug you".
[2] The Lennons exited their limousine on 72nd
Street instead of driving into the more secure
courtyard of the Dakota.[13]
Chapman's motivations and mental health are
complex. He had suffered from mental health
problems for years and had become obsessed
with the political message of Lennon's music. He
was incensed by Lennon's " bigger than Jesus"
remark, calling it blasphemy. He later stated he
was further enraged by "God", and "Imagine." He
was angry at the incongruity he saw between
Lennon's lyric "imagine no possessions" and
Lennon's personal wealth.[14] Chapman even
sang the song with the altered lyric: "Imagine
John Lennon dead."[15]
Murder
Dakota doorman Jose Perdomo and a nearby cab
driver saw Chapman standing in the shadows by
the archway.[16] Ono walked ahead of Lennon
and into the reception area. As Lennon passed
by, he looked at Chapman briefly and continued
on his way. Within seconds, Chapman took aim
directly at the center of Lennon's back and fired
five hollow-point bullets at him from a Charter
Arms .38 Special revolver in rapid succession.[1]
Based on statements made that night by NYPD
Chief of Detectives James Sullivan, numerous
radio, television, and newspaper reports claimed
at the time that, before firing, Chapman called out
"Mr. Lennon" and dropped into a " combat
stance".[17][18][19] But court hearings and
witness interviews do not include either "Mr.
Lennon" or the "combat stance" description.
Chapman has said he did not remember calling
out Lennon's name before he shot him.[20][21]
[22] The first bullet missed, passing over Lennon's
head and hitting a window of the Dakota building.
However, two of the next bullets struck Lennon in
the left side of his back, and two more penetrated
his left shoulder. Three of the four bullets passed
completely through and exited the front of
Lennon's body, resulting in a total of seven
gunshot wounds. While all four shots inflicted
severe gunshot wounds, two of the wounds
were fatal, hitting his left lung and the left
subclavian artery, near where it branches off
from the aorta. Lennon, bleeding profusely from
his external wounds and also from the mouth,
staggered up five steps to the security/reception
area, said "I'm shot, I'm shot"[23] and fell to the
floor, scattering the armful of cassettes he had
been carrying. Concierge Jay Hastings first started
to make a tourniquet, but upon ripping open
Lennon's blood-stained shirt and realizing the
severity of his multiple injuries, covered Lennon's
chest with his uniform's jacket, removed his
blood-covered glasses, and summoned the
police.[11]