Trivia Cafe
7

Outside this apartment building in New York City, on December 8th, 1980, a deranged fan murdered John Lennon. Who was this person, and which apartment building?

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MARK DAVID CHAPMAN / DAKOTA - current events illustration
MARK DAVID CHAPMAN / DAKOTA — current events

On that tragic evening, the former Beatle was murdered by Mark David Chapman, a deeply disturbed fan from Hawaii. In a chilling turn of events, Chapman had actually met Lennon just five hours earlier in the very same spot, where Lennon graciously autographed a copy of his new album, "Double Fantasy." Chapman then waited for Lennon and Yoko Ono to return from a recording session later that night. As Lennon passed, Chapman fired five hollow-point bullets, ending the music icon's life at the age of 40.

The crime took place in the archway of The Dakota, one of New York City's most famous and exclusive residential buildings. Located on the Upper West Side overlooking Central Park, the grand, gothic-style building had been John Lennon and Yoko Ono's home since 1973. The Dakota was already famous in its own right, having served as the sinister setting for the classic 1968 horror film "Rosemary's Baby." After the shooting, Chapman remained at the scene, calmly reading a copy of "The Catcher in the Rye" until he was arrested by police.