Former White House press chief James Brady’s passing was ruled a homicide Friday — from a bullet fired more than three decades ago.
Brady was shot in the head during the 1981 assassination attempt on his boss, President Reagan, outside a Washington, DC, hotel.
Gunman John Hinckley Jr. — who lives in a suburban mental hospital — could now face a federal murder rap 33 years after the incident, officials said.
Virginia medical examiners ruled Friday that Brady finally succumbed to wounds related to the shooting.
The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said it is reviewing the ruling as it considers any fresh legal action against Hinckley.
Brady’s wife, Sarah, told NBC through a spokesperson that her family isn’t surprised by the murder finding.
“This isn’t a surprise to anybody or to her, given that his health was impacted and he suffered such consequences over the years,” the spokeswoman said. “If that is the case, it is in the prosecutors’ hands, and it is up to them.”
Observers said the feds would have to consider if a new case against Hinckley would end differently than his first trial, in which he was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Brady, 73, was left partially paralyzed and wheelchair-bound after the shooting.
The damage also induced short-term memory loss, slurring and extensive brain damage.
Despite his compromised state, the popular Beltway figure waged a tireless campaign for increased gun control that led to landmark legislation in 1993.
Hinckley lives at the St. Elizabeths psychiatric hospital in suburban Washington, DC, and has been allowed to leave the premises for weeks at a time to visit his mother.
His family has lobbied for a permanent release — but the murder ruling could affect his status at the facility.