John Lennon was just 40 years old when he passed away after he was shot four times by a fan.
December 8, 1980, was a sad day for music and all the Beatles fans because it marked the day they lost their favorite artist and former Beatles bandmate, John Lennon.
The outspoken artist was just 40 years old when he was shot four times at close range with a .38-caliber revolver outside his Manhattan apartment, according to History. His killer? An obsessed fan, Mark David Chapman. Lennon was immediately rushed to the hospital as he was bleeding profusely but he breathed his last on the way.
Chapman, who had gotten an autograph from Lennon earlier on that day, stayed at the scene of the crime until he was arrested. For weeks, Lennon's fans mourned his death outside his apartment and around the world. They grieved with his wife Yoko Ono and those who were close to him.
On his 39th death anniversary in 2019, many paid tribute to the late artist who created gems like Imagine. But out of all of them, the one that stood out was Ono's emotional message for her late husband on Twitter. As per The Metro, Ono through her tribute made it clear that the pain she felt 39 years ago was still fresh.
She penned, "After 39 years, Sean, Julian and I still miss him. The death of a loved one is a hollowing experience. Imagine all the people, living life in peace." Along with the picture of Lennon's bloodstained glasses that he was wearing on the day of the tragedy, she addressed the increased statistics of gun violence in America and how everyone is turning the country into a "war zone."
Dear Friends
— Yoko Ono (@yokoono) December 8, 2019
Every day, 100 Americans are shot and killed with guns.
We are turning this beautiful country into a War Zone.
Together, let's bring back America, the green land of Peace. pic.twitter.com/YI8CqkIFnX
Just six hours after her original post, Ono added few more words that were heartbreaking for every Lennon fan. She wrote, "It is always good to cry. Tears gives you immense health."
When Lennon's fellow Beatles bandmate drummer Ringo Starr was asked how he reacted to the devastating news of the artist's death he admitted that he "still well[s] up that some b*****d shot him." Recalling the day he added, "We got a plane to New York, and you don’t know what you can do. We went to the apartment. 'Anything we can do?' And Yoko just said, 'Well, you just play with Sean. Keep Sean busy.' And that’s what we did."
Chapman was 25 years old when he took the decision of taking Lennon's life and was sentenced to 20 years to life, according to History. He was deemed borderline psychotic by the psychiatrists and was asked to plead insanity. Chapman however chose to plead guilty to murder.
Now 40 years later at the age of 65, he has apologized for the horrific murder that he admits he committed “for the glory." The Sun reported that Chapman confessed that he deserved the death penalty. The killer's confession comes after he claims that he found God in jail.
Back in 2000, the New York State prison officials had denied his parole hearing stating that his “vicious and violent act was apparently fueled by your need to be acknowledged.” In August 2020, Chapman was denied parole for the 11th time and a transcript of the hearing was released on September 21.
The revelation of his apology addressed to Ono comes from these transcripts. In it, he confessed that he wanted to apologize to Ono for committing the murder and for its “cold-heartedness”.
“I knew it was wrong and I did it for glory. One word, just glory. That’s it. It was that he was famous, extremely famous. That’s why he was at the top of the list. I deserve the death penalty. I think that says it all. I’m sorry for the pain that I caused to her (Yoko).”
Talking about his newfound faith during his time in jail he added, “If released, I’d want to continue to tell people about the Lord.” 87-year-old Ono has previously said that she fears for the safety of her sons Julian and Sean in case Chapman is allowed to go free.
The board at New York’s Wende Correctional Facility said the reason for refusing Chapman's parole request is it's in the “best interests of society” to keep him behind bars. They added, “Your violent act caused devastation to not only family and former band members, but the world.” Chapman can now apply for parole only in 2022.
References:
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-lennon-shot
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/12731632/john-lennons-killer-sorry-yoko-ono/
