December 8th 1980

Mark David Chapman was born in Texas, he had an obsession with Christianity, he was also John Lennon´s fan, J.D Salinger´s book ¨The Catcher in the Rye¨ was very important in his life because when he lived in Honolulu he tried to suicide himself and he tried to mold his life as Holden Caulfield´s, the main character from the book.

It was December eight, 1980. That morning Chapman had went to a music store and he bought John Lennon´s last album, then he went to the Dakota Building, where John lived and he waited him to come out, a couple of hours later John came out with his wife Yoko Ono, before they got on the limo Chapman passed John the album, he signed it and said ¨Anything else? ¨ Chapman answered ¨No¨ ¨Are you sure? ¨ Lennon insisted but Chapman nodded his head. In the moment that John signed the album, Paul a photographer who was taking pictures nearby took a picture in the exact moment.

Mark went back to his hotel room, he organized his identification papers and he got ready for the big moment, months before he had listened to John Lennon´s song ¨Imagine¨ in the fraction where he quotes ¨Imagine there is no heaven¨ and ¨imagine no religion¨ he decided he had to kill him for being an hypocrite.

It was almost midnight; Chapman had passed a long time talking with Paul who had already left and he staid a while standing next to the Dakota building when suddenly he saw John´s white limo arriving, he just watched. Yoko Ono came out, behind her came John Lennon. Chapman opened his legs and aimed with his both hands on his .38 revolver saying ¨Mr. Lennon¨. While John looked back four flat bullets hit his back, he fell on the floor. Yoko just screamed for help. John got to where she was and said ¨I´m shot¨, The Dakota´s doorman said to Chapman ¨You know what you’ve done?¨ ¨Yes, I just shot John Lennon¨ he answered.

Mark sat on the sidewalk reading ¨The catcher in the rye¨ while John was dying in the building´s entrance, Chapman just waited for the police to arrive, right there sitting over the sidewalk.

Juan Pablo Lievano 9B