Word History FaQ
The Death Of John Lennon
At approximately 11PM on December 8th, 1980, famed rock musician John Lennon was walking through the gateway of his living quarters in New York City after spending several hours with his wife, Yoko Ono, mixing a new track entitled: Walking On Thin Ice. As Lennon approached the gate, a gunman stepped out of the shadows nearby and fired five hollow-point bullets at him from a Charter Arms .38 Special revolver. Four of the shots hit Lennon, inflicting severe wounds. Minutes later Lennon was pronounced dead on arrival in the emergency room at Roosevelt Hospital.
The response in America was tremendous. Shortly after networks reported the news, crowds gathered outside of The Dakota, where Lennon lived, and the Roosevelt Hospital, singing Lennon’s songs and burning candles. It got so that wife Yoko Ono had to request that the crowd disperse, as their chanting was keeping her awake. They gathered again in Central Park on the following Sunday for ten minutes of silent prayer; indeed, millions of people around the world responded to Ono’s request for this prayer.
The shooter was Mark David Chapman. Mere hours before the murder, Lennon had autographed a copy of his album Double Fantasy for him, saying afterward: “Is this all you want?” Chapman had only nodded silently. A photograph of the signing was captured by Lennon fan Paul Goresh, and shows Chapman in the background.
To this day, Lennon is mourned throughout the world. In New York City’s Central Park, there is a 2.5 acre landscaped section that goes by the name of Strawberry Fields, dedicated to the memory of the dead musician. It is often covered with flowers, candles in glasses, and other belongings left behind by Lennon fans. Candlelight vigils are often held here not only in memoriam of John Lennon, but other famous musicians, as well as those who were killed in the September 11 attacks on America in 2001.
Source: Wikipedia.org
