No upcoming concerts for John Hinckley Jr., it seems.
In his first television interview since his unconditional release this month, the man who shot President Ronald Reagan in an attempted assassination attempt told CBS Mornings today that his three recently canceled singer-songwriter performances at venues in Brooklyn, Chicago and Connecticut won’t be rescheduled in what correspondent Major Garrett said was the “foreseeable future.”
Watch the interview above.
Also during the interview, Hinckley publicly apologized to the families of his shooting victims – Ronald Regan, press secretary James Brady, Secret Service Agent Tim McCarthy and police officer Thomas Delahanty – and “to Jodie Foster for bringing her into this.”
On March 30, 1981, Hinckley, then 25, carried out the shooting outside the Washington Hilton as the president walked to his limousine. He later said that he was motivated by a delusional obsession to try to impress actress Foster.
Garrett said on today’s show that the neither the families of the shooting nor Foster responded to CBS’ request for comment.
Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity and spent more than 30 years at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C. A judge recently granted him unconditional freedom after the gradual easing of confinement conditions since 2016.
“I have true remorse for what I did,” Hinckley said on CBS Mornings. “I know [the victims] probably can’t forgive me now, but I just want them to know that I am sorry for what I did.”
Hinckley, now 67, lives in Williamsburg, Va. Hinckley has expressed a desire to perform as a touring singer/songwriter, but three scheduled performances were canceled because of security concerns.
“I don’t know anybody else who’s certainly had a life like I’ve had,” Hinckley said. “I mean, what I tell people now, if you want to get to know John Hinckley, listen to his songs.”
