Lenon’s murder inspired Douglas to end gun violence

LOS ANGELES: Hollywood actor Michael Douglas revealed that he became a campaigner to end gun violence after getting caught in the “fracas” surrounding John Lennon’s murder when he was walking home past the Beatles legend’s apartment building.

The 71-year-old actor was walking home with Rolling Stone magazine publisher Jann Wenner in December 1980 when they came across a commotion, and the subsequent killing of the Beatles legend outside The Dakota, the building where he lived, made the pair vow to try and change things, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

“We were walking home one night along Central Park West on December 8 and we passed the Dakota.

“There was all this fracas and it was the night that John Lennon got shot. Right after that, Jann and I were involved with starting an organisation called CeaseFire,” Douglas was quoted as saying by the New York Daily News newspaper’s Confidential column.