Hi, Folks:

I sent out a 'Death' issue of The NewsNetter a few months ago, to mark the
seeming overwhelming presence of death-related issues in my life. Oddly enough,
I neglected to include a mentioning of the anniversary of John Lennon's death,
most likely because I was so distracted by the first anniversary of George
Harrison's death, which was occurring shortly before.
To make up for this gross oversight, I present the following:

As taken from the New York Times

John Lennon, who was widely regarded as the most thoughtful and outspoken of the
four Beatles during their peak of popularity during the 1960's, dropped out of
the music business, to devote his attention to his newly-born son, Sean, and to
his wife, Yoko Ono. Then in November 1980, he reentered the pop mainstream with
the introduction of a new album, "Double Fantasy," which, Lennon said at the
time, was an extension of his family life, as the songs were direct celebrations
of enduring love and the pleasures of home and hearth.

On December 8, 1980 at around 5 p.m., John and Yoko left their apartment in the
historic Dakota on Central Park West in New York City to go to their recording
studio to supervise the transfer of some of the "Double Fantasy" album numbers
to singles. David Geffen, their record producer and friend, said that more than
700,000 copies of the album had already been sold up to that time.

As they were leaving the Dakota, they were approached by several people who were
seeking autographs. Among them was a man who would be later identified as M***
D**** C******. John Lennon scribbled an autograph on the cover of "Double
Fantasy" for C******.

The Lennons spent several hours at the studio on West 44th Street, returning to
the Dakota at about 10:50 p.m. They exited their limousine on the 72nd Street
curb even though a car could have driven through the entrance and into the
courtyard.

Three witnesses--a doorman at the entrance, an elevator operator and a cab
driver who had just dropped off a passenger--saw M*** D**** C****** standing in
the shadows just inside the arch.

As the Lennons walked by, C****** called, "Mr. Lennon." Then he dropped into "a
combat stance" and fired four pistol shots. According to the autopsy, two shots
struck John Lennon in the left side of his back and two in his left shoulder.
All four caused internal damage and bleeding.

According to police, Lennon staggered up six steps to the room at the end of the
entrance used by the concierge, said, "I'm shot," then fell down.

The first policemen at the scene were Officers Steve Spire and Peter Cullen, who
were in the patrol car at 72nd Street and Broadway when they heard a report of
shots fired at the Dakota. The officers found C****** standing "very calmly"
where he had been.

The police said he had dropped the revolver after firing it, and said C******
had a paperback book, J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye," and a cassette
recorder with 14 hours of Beatles tapes.

The second police team at the Dakota, Officers Bill Gamble and James Moran, took
Lennon to Roosevelt Hospital. Officer Moran said they stretched Lennon out on
the back seat and that the singer was "moaning." He said he asked, "Are you John
Lennon?" and that Lennon had moaned, "Yeah."

Dr. Stephen Lyman of Roosevelt Hospital said Lennon was dead when the policemen
arrived with him. He was pronounced dead at 11:15 p.m. Dr. Elliott M. Gross, the
Chief Medical Examiner, said after the autopsy that Lennon had died of shock and
loss of blood and that no one could have lived more than a few minutes with such
injuries.

Yoko Ono, crying "Tell me it's not true," was taken to Roosevelt Hospital and
led away in shock after she learned her husband was dead. David Geffen later
issued a statement in her behalf: "John loved and prayed for the human race.
Please do the same for him."

Within minutes of the first broadcasts of the news of the shooting, people began
to gather at Roosevelt Hospital and in front of the Dakota, reciting prayers,
singing Lennon's songs and burning candles.

On December 14, all around the world, people paused to stand alone or come
together in silence, heeding a plea from Yoko Ono that they take 10 minutes to
remember the former Beatle.

- Reverend Flash

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