John Hinckley Jr. Wants to Live in a Peaceful World Where He Can Play Music and Paint Cats
"After a long and winding road, I am now an artist and singer/songwriter."
Published July 22 2024, 4:24 p.m. ET
In a conversation with CBS Mornings from June 2022, John Hinckley Jr. told Chief Washington Correspondent Major Garrett that he had very little memory of the day he tried to assassinate former president Ronald Reagan. Hinckley was then acquitted by reason of insanity and would go on to spend more than 30 years in St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C.
After Hinckley was released in 2016, he moved to Williamsburg, Va. where he lived with his mother, per Courthouse News Service. For the next five years, he was heavily restricted until June 2022 when his unconditional release was activated. This means he is beholden to no one but himself. So, where is John Hinckley Jr. now? It's a 180-degree turn from where he once was.
John Hinckley Jr. is now leading a very quiet life.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Hinckley was working at a booth at an antique mall, which he returned to after his unconditional release was granted. His long-time therapist was about to retire, so Hinckley was tasked with finding a new group to meet with. Barry Levine represented Hinckley for 30 years and was with him while he was gradually granted freedom.
During one of Hinckley's release hearings, Levine said, "John is optimistic about his future. He loves music, he writes and sings songs, and he would like to be able to share them with others." There was some concern about Hinckley's mental health when his mother died in early 2021, but he did as his lawyer said he wanted to do. Hinckley has been writing and recording songs and has even done a few live shows, though early on in this endeavor, several venues canceled on him.
The moment he was legally able to do so, Hinckley joined X (formerly Twitter) in October 2021, where he mostly posts about music. In January 2023 he tweeted, "I spent yesterday at a cool recording studio in Richmond, Va. I put down eight tracks, all original songs."
About a week later Hinckley revealed that a documentary was being made about him. He shared a photo of himself sitting between two men who are holding cameras and boom mics. It's unclear when and where that will be available to watch.
Like many of us, John Hinckley Jr. has a cat he adores.
When a person has a history of violence, being in any sort of relationship can be scary. It can also be healing, especially when said relationship is with a pet. Hinckley has a cat who is the frequent subject of his paintings, which can be purchased on his artist website or his eBay page.
When Hinckley was asked by CBS News' Major Garrett if his freedom is just, Hinckley said yes. "I was not just a cold, calculating criminal in 1981. I truly believe I had a serious mental illness that was preventing me from knowing right from wrong."
With the help of therapy and medication, Hinckley went from a man who terrified a country to someone whose artist bio reads: "After a long and winding road, I am now an artist and singer/songwriter."
