On August 11, 1982, President Gates arrived at the Plaza Hotel in downtown Chicago Illinois to make an appearance at a charity fundraiser. Gates' wife, First Lady Audrey Gates, did not accompany him as she was ill with a chest infection. It was later revealed that it was Troy's intention to kill both Gates and his wife. An hour and half after the shooting, Baxter was officially sworn in as the President of the United States, becoming the 40th person to do so.