John Lennon
Mark Chapman, John Lennon’s assassin, had the gun in his pocket when the last known photo of Lennon was taken. On December 6, 1980, he checked into the Sheraton Hotel. He staged his hotel room with personal items for the police to find. On the night of December 8, 1980, Chapman waited outside Lennon’s apartment and shook hands with him. He asked him to sign his album, Double Fantasy. Later that night, as Lennon and Yoko walked into their building, Chapman fired five shots from a revolver. He hit him four times. Lennon was rushed to the hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival. Chapman later stated that he wanted to kill Lennon as he saw him as a hypocrite and a phony. He sang about peace and love but was unwilling to make changes in the world. Chapman was sentenced to life in prison.