John Lennon, the legendary English musician and one of the founders of the famed group The Beatles, was shot dead by Mark David Chapman at the entrance of the building where Lennon lived in New York City on December 8, 1980. Lennon had just returned from the Record Plant Studio with his wife, Yoko Ono.

Jose Perdomo, the Dakota’s doorman, and a nearby cab driver saw Chapman standing in the shadows by the archway. Ono walked ahead of Lennon and into the reception area. As Lennon passed by, he looked at Chapman briefly and continued on his way. Within seconds, Chapman took aim directly at the centre of Lennon’s back and fired five hollow-point bullets at him from a Charter Arms .38 Special revolver in rapid succession.

Earlier, as Lennon and Ono walked to their limousine, they were approached by several people seeking autographs, among them, Chapman. It was common for fans to wait outside the Dakota to meet Lennon and ask for his autograph. Chapman, a 25-year-old security guard from Honolulu, Hawaii, had first come to New York to murder Lennon in October (before the release of Double Fantasy), but changed his mind and returned home. Chapman silently handed Lennon a copy of Double Fantasy, and Lennon obliged with an autograph. After signing the album, Lennon asked him, “Is this all you want?” Chapman smiled and nodded in agreement. Photographer and Lennon fan Paul Goresh took a photo of the encounter. Chapman had been waiting for Lennon outside the Dakota since mid morning.