James Brady was a political aide, best known as the White House Press Secretary under Ronald Reagan. He is also noted for serving as Phyllis Schlafly's campaign manager during her run for Congress in Illinois in 1970. His injuries sustained in that 1981 assassination attempt against Reagan left him permanently disabled. As a result, he became a proponent of gun control.
The Brady Bill, a bill requiring private businesses selling firearms to submit all customers to a background check taking up to 5 days, was named after James Brady when it was passed in 1993.