John Hinckley Jr., the Man Who Shot Ronald Reagan, Says Violence Isn't the Answer

On March 30, 1981, John Hinckley Jr. tried to assassinate then-President Ronald Reagan in front of the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. He was later acquitted by reason of insanity but spent over 30 years at St. Elizabeths Hospital.

He was released in 2016 and since then has joined X (formerly Twitter). In July 2024, John Hinckley Jr. dropped a violence tweet, which some could argue showed a lot of growth on his part. Let's take a look.

"Violence is not the way to go," wrote Hinckley. "Give peace a chance." This could be an evergreen thought, though many people in the replies believe he is referring to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. If that's true, it could either be classified as hypocritical or a sign of deep healing.

"That's rich, coming from you," replied one person. Obviously, they're in the hypocrite camp. "That's nice, a little late, but nice nonetheless," said another who clearly wants to believe Hinckley has changed. After all, isn't that the point of spending over three decades in a mental health facility? They let him out for a reason.

More than one person is bringing up Jodie Foster, which might seem out of place if you don't know Hinckley's history with the Academy Award-winning actor. Hinckley became obsessed with Foster after seeing the movie Taxi Driver. In it, she plays a young sex worker rescued by Travis Bickle (Rober DeNiro), who dreams of assassination. Hinckley began to mimic Bickle and allowed his infatuation to turn violent, which is what led him to shoot President Reagan.

When he was granted convalescent leave from the mental hospital in 2016, Hinckley continued with his court-mandated monthly treatments. Since getting full unconditional release approved in January 2022, he has started a band and has dropped several original songs. He also spends a great deal of time painting pictures of his cat. And now, he rejects violence. This is the ideal outcome.