John Hinckley Jr. is a 65-year-old American man who had
been charged with a number of offences because of his attempt to assassinate
then US President Ronald Reagen. The attempted assassination took place on
March 30, 1981. Hinckley was armed with a .22 caliber revolver which wounded a
police officer (Thomas Delahanty), a secret service agent (Timothy McCarthy)
and press secretary James Brady who died in 2014.
Born in Ardmore, Oklahoma he moved to Dallas along with his
family when he was 4-years-old. He had been enrolled in a tech university but
he chose to drop out in the hope of making it big as a songwriter.
He became obsessed with Robert De Niro’s film Taxi Driver which
shows an attempted assassination of a presidential candidate. Hinckley
developed an obsession with Jodie Foster who portrayed a sexually trafficked
child in the film.
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He stalked, repeatedly called, slipped poems and messages
for the young actress but failed to grab her attention. John targeted president
Reagen in order to gain Foster’s attention and ‘impress her’. He was
25-years-old at the time of the assassination.
In 1982 he was found not guilty by reason of insanity. The
jurors held the opinion that instead of a life in prison, the man suffering
from acute psychosis should be given treatment.
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Following the verdict, he was sent St. Elizabeths Hospital
in Washington where he stayed for over three decades.
Since 2003, the restrictions imposed on him started
lessening. He had been ordered to maintain distance from the families of those
who wounded as well as actress Jodie Foster.
Five years ago, he went on to live with his mother in
Williamsburg thanks to the court granting him convalescent leave. She died in
her sleep after living a long life of 95 years.
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The Department of Behavioural Health had proposed for an
unconditional release of Hinckley stating he posed a low risk of future violence.
He no longer displays of an active mental illness or violent behaviour.
The United States’ government had been opposed to this idea
but changed their stance on Monday. The attorneys said they would be fine with
an unconditional release if John displays mental stability and follows all the
rules for the next nine months.
Judge Paul L. Friedman said if all goes well then, the plan
is to release John from all court supervisions in June.
