A little over 40 years ago, John W. Hinckley Jr. shot President Reagan, his press secretary, a secret service agent, and a police officer. All survived, but James Brady, the most seriously wounded, was permanently incapacitated.
Hinckley, a schizophrenic who desired to be famous in order to impress actress Jodie Foster (wrong girl, dude; she’s a lesbian), was acquitted by a jury on grounds of insanity and committed to a psychiatric hospital, where he remained for 35 years, although he was allowed supervised visits to his parents’ home beginning in 1999.
He was released to his mother’s care in 2016, but “with many conditions” (details here); the court kept him on a short leash. About 5 years ago, he was allowed to live on his own in the community.
His mother died on July 30, 2021, at age 95. A few weeks later, on September 27, 2021, a federal judge agreed to unconditionally release Hinckley, now 66, as of June of 2022. His mental illness is considered in remission, and his doctors no longer consider him a threat.
A lifetime later, he’ll soon become an ordinary citizen of Williamsburg, Virginia. Read story here.
Hinckley isn’t the only failed presidential assassin on the streets. Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme and Sara Jane Moore, who separately tried to shoot President Ford a few weeks apart in 1975, were released in 2007 and 2009, respectively, each having served over 30 years in prison.
Photo above: Hinckley as he appeared in 2016