Mark David Chapman is an American criminal who murdered John Lennon, formerly of the Beatles, outside Lennon's apartment at the Dakota, in Manhattan, on December 8, 1980. As Lennon walked into the building's archway with his wife Yoko Ono, Chapman fired five shots at Lennon from a few yards away with a Charter Arms Undercover.38 Special revolver. Lennon was hit four times from the back. Chapman remained at the scene reading J. D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye until he was arrested by police. He planned to cite the novel as his manifesto. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Chapman had been a fan of the Beatles, but was incensed by Lennon's lifestyle and public statements, such as his remark about the Beatles being "more popular than Jesus" and the lyrics of his later songs "God" and "Imagine". In the years leading up to the murder, Chapman developed a series of obsessions, including artwork and the music of Todd Rundgren.

On December 8, 1980, a mentally ill fan assassinated John Lennon.

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