In 1981, John Hinckley Jr. tried to kill the president.
Today, following the alleged assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, Hinckley Jr. shared on X, “Violence is not the way to go. Give peace a chance.”
On March 30, 1981, the then 25-year-old attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan outside the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. Hinckley fired six shots, one of which hit Reagan in the chest, narrowly missing his heart. White House Press Secretary James Brady, Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy, and police officer Thomas Delahanty were also wounded in the attack.
Hinckley claimed he was trying to impress actress Jodie Foster, with whom he was obsessed. Reagan survived the assassination attempt, and Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a psychiatric facility.
After his release, Hinckley has been attempting to delve into life as a musician, hoping people will give him a second chance and listen to his folk music. Hinckley said writing music—a pursuit he initially abandoned after years of following his dream into his 20s— now reflects his desire for a positive mental attitude with themes like love and redemption.
“I want people to know that I’m coming in peace, I stand for peace now,” he said. “I know I’m known for an act of violence, but I’m a completely different person than in 1981.”
In 2022, while speaking to Fred Pessaro at CREEM, he talked about a show he had booked in Brooklyn that quickly sold out, but the venue canceled citing security reasons while issuing a statement speaking “about mental health and possible atonement.”
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In 1981, John Hinckley Jr. tried to kill the president.
Today, following the alleged assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, Hinckley Jr. shared on X, “Violence is not the way to go. Give peace a chance.”
On March 30, 1981, the then 25-year-old attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan outside the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. Hinckley fired six shots, one of which hit Reagan in the chest, narrowly missing his heart. White House Press Secretary James Brady, Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy, and police officer Thomas Delahanty were also wounded in the attack.
Hinckley claimed he was trying to impress actress Jodie Foster, with whom he was obsessed. Reagan survived the assassination attempt, and Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a psychiatric facility.
After his release, Hinckley has been attempting to delve into life as a musician, hoping people will give him a second chance and listen to his folk music. Hinckley said writing music—a pursuit he initially abandoned after years of following his dream into his 20s— now reflects his desire for a positive mental attitude with themes like love and redemption.
“I want people to know that I’m coming in peace, I stand for peace now,” he said. “I know I’m known for an act of violence, but I’m a completely different person than in 1981.”
In 2022, while speaking to Fred Pessaro at CREEM, he talked about a show he had booked in Brooklyn that quickly sold out, but the venue canceled citing security reasons while issuing a statement speaking “about mental health and possible atonement.”
