A Virginia medical examiner ruled on Friday that former White House Press Secretary James Brady's death on Monday was a homicide, the District police department's chief spokeswoman said.
The twist, is that the 73-year-old died as a result of the 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, USA Today reports. Brady suffered a gunshot wound to the head at the time, which now apparently has killed him.
The would-be assassin, John Hinckley Jr. was found not guilty by reason of insanity following the March 1981 shooting. The 59-year-old has been undergoing psychiatric treatment at St. Elizabeth's Hospital since the trial. He remains confined there with the exception of unsupervised visits to his mother's home, which started in 1999.
Though Brady survived the shooting, he had to deal with remaining in a wheelchair due to partial paralysis and also slurred speech for the rest of his life. As previously reported, he worked as an advocate for gun control after the shooting.
In 1993, the Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act, which requires background checks for handgun purchases, was signed by President Bill Clinton.
It isn't yet known if there would be an attempt to charge Hinckley with Brady's murder.