After four decades under legal and mental health supervision, John Hinckley Jr., the man who shot and wounded President Ronald Reagan in 1981, has been granted full freedom. The court-ordered oversight, which has shaped a significant portion of Hinckley’s life, officially concluded on Wednesday, marking a new chapter for the 67-year-old.
Hinckley announced his newfound freedom on Twitter with a concise and celebratory message: “After 41 years 2 months and 15 days, FREEDOM AT LAST!!!” This announcement, made shortly after 12 p.m., confirmed the anticipated lifting of all restrictions, a process that had been underway since late September.
U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman in Washington had previously indicated his intention to fully release Hinckley. Back in June, Judge Friedman stated that the final lifting of restrictions would occur on June 15, provided Hinckley maintained mental stability in his Virginia community, where he has resided since 2016. Prior to this, Hinckley had spent decades at St. Elizabeths Hospital, a mental health facility in Washington, following his acquittal by reason of insanity in the Reagan shooting case.
The concept of freedom for John Hinckley Jr. now encompasses aspects of life previously unimaginable under court restrictions. Notably, this includes plans for a public concert in Brooklyn, New York, where Hinckley intends to showcase his musical talents as a guitarist and singer. In recent months, as the judge gradually eased restrictions, Hinckley has also cultivated a noticeable online presence, amassing nearly 30,000 followers across platforms like Twitter and YouTube.
However, despite these developments, it’s important to remember that John Hinckley Jr.’s name is indelibly linked to a pivotal moment in American history. While he may not be the household name he once was in the immediate aftermath of the assassination attempt, historians emphasize the significance of his actions, albeit often framed within the larger narrative of the Reagan era. Some historians suggest Hinckley’s place in contemporary memory is relegated to a trivia question, or as someone who inadvertently played a role in solidifying the Reagan legend and galvanizing support for stricter gun control measures.
Historian H.W. Brands, a Reagan biographer, offered a perspective on Hinckley’s historical weight in an email to The Associated Press. “If Hinckley had succeeded in killing Reagan, then he would have been a pivotal historical figure,” Brands wrote. “As it is, he is a misguided soul whom history has already forgotten.”
Echoing this sentiment, Barbara A. Perry, a professor and director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center, remarked that John Hinckley Jr. “would be maybe a Jeopardy question.” Despite this diminished public profile, Perry and others underscore that the repercussions of Hinckley’s actions remain woven into the fabric of Reagan’s legacy.
Perry argues that the assassination attempt and Reagan’s subsequent recovery significantly contributed to the president’s iconic status. “For the president himself to have been so seriously wounded, and to come back from that — that actually made Ronald Reagan the legend that he became … like the movie hero that he was,” she explained. Reagan’s response to the attack, characterized by grace and humor, further cemented this image. Famously, after being shot, Reagan reportedly quipped to emergency room doctors, expressing hope that they were all Republicans. He later joked with his wife Nancy about forgetting to duck. Perry noted that when Reagan addressed Congress shortly after the incident, he appeared “just a little bit thinner, but he’s still the robust cowboy that is Ronald Reagan.”
The impact of the 1981 shooting extended beyond President Reagan himself. James Brady, Reagan’s press secretary, suffered debilitating injuries in the attack, ultimately leading to his death in 2014. In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the Brady Bill into law, a landmark piece of legislation mandating a five-day waiting period and background checks for handgun purchases. This bill, and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, stand as enduring tributes to James Brady and his wife Sarah’s advocacy.
Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy and Washington police officer Thomas Delahanty were also wounded in the Hinckley shooting. McCarthy, reflecting on the impending end of Hinckley’s supervision in an interview with the AP last year, expressed complex emotions. While acknowledging he didn’t harbor “good Christian thoughts” towards Hinckley, McCarthy conceded, “But in any case, I hope they’re right,” referring to the assessment of Hinckley’s mental stability. He further emphasized the historical weight of the event, stating, “Because the actions of this man could have changed the course of history.”
In 1981, John Hinckley Jr. was 25 years old and diagnosed with acute psychosis. The jury’s decision to acquit him based on insanity stemmed from the understanding that he required treatment rather than traditional punishment. This led to his initial confinement at St. Elizabeths Hospital. Over time, Hinckley began receiving furloughs to visit his parents’ home in Williamsburg, Virginia, during the 2000s. By 2016, a court order allowed him to reside full-time with his mother, under continued restrictions, as experts determined his mental illness had been in remission for decades. Following his mother’s death in July, Hinckley established an independent living situation, signing a lease on a one-bedroom apartment and living with his cat, Theo, according to court documents.
Throughout his period of conditional release, John Hinckley Jr. was subject to numerous restrictions. These included prohibitions on owning firearms, consuming drugs or alcohol, and contacting actress Jodie Foster, who he was obsessively fixated on at the time of the shooting. Contact with his victims or their families was also strictly forbidden. Patti Davis, one of Ronald Reagan’s daughters, publicly addressed the prospect of potential contact in a Washington Post opinion piece last year, articulating the ongoing burden and emotional complexities faced by the victims’ families.
Stephen J. Morse, a University of Pennsylvania professor of law and psychiatry, provided legal context to Hinckley’s case in an AP interview last year. He explained that the insanity acquittal meant John Hinckley Jr. was deemed not culpable for his actions and therefore not subject to punishment in the traditional legal sense. Morse stated, “If he hadn’t attempted to kill President Reagan, this guy would have been released ages ago,” highlighting the extraordinary length of Hinckley’s supervision due to the nature of his crime.
Barry Levine, Hinckley’s attorney, conveyed in court last year Hinckley’s desire to express “heartfelt” apologies and “profound regret” to those he harmed, including the victims, their families, Jodie Foster, and the American public. Judge Friedman, who oversaw Hinckley’s case, affirmed on June 1 that Hinckley had shown no signs of active mental illness since the mid-1980s and displayed no violent tendencies or interest in weapons. Concluding the long-running legal process, Judge Friedman stated, “This is the time to let John Hinckley move on with his life, so we will.” This decision officially brings an end to a chapter marked by crime, mental illness, and decades of legal and societal repercussions, as John Hinckley Jr. steps into a future defined by freedom, albeit one forever shadowed by his past actions.
