John Hinckley Jr. Biography

(Attempted to assassinate U.S. President Ronald Reagan)

Birthday: May 29, 1955 (Gemini)

Born In: Ardmore, Oklahoma, United States

John Hinckley Jr. is an American criminal who made an attempt to murder former US president Ronald Reagan. An otherwise ordinary man, Hinckley Jr. shot to fame with the attempted murder. Hinckley Jr. was born into a wealthy business family. During his childhood days, he was like any other child. As he entered high school, he became more reclusive. During his teenage years, Hinckley Jr. was on medication for countering depression. It was the movie ‘Taxi Driver’ that changed the course of his life. Hinckley Jr. became obsessed with Jodie Foster, who starred in the movie. He started stalking her and made attempts to win her attention. The attempted assassination of the US president was part of his plan to win her love. As President Reagan was leaving a hotel, Hinckley Jr. fired at him. Though he was arrested, Hinckley Jr. was found to be not guilty, due to insanity. He was confined at the ‘St. Elizabeths Hospital’ in Washington, D.C., for a long time. He received treatment for several psychiatric disorders. He was allowed to visit his parents, in supervised surroundings. After having spent 35 years in custody, Hinckley Jr. was deemed fit to be released. Following this, he lived with his mother. Several conditions were imposed on his freedom, to ensure that he did not harm himself or others. Currently, he has been cured of his illness and is fit to live independently.
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Quick Facts

Girlfriend: Leslie deVeau (ex)

Also Known As: John Warnock Hinckley Jr.

Age: 68 Years, 68 Year Old Males

Family:

father: John Warnock Hinckley Sr.

mother: Jo Ann Moore

siblings: Diane Hinckley, Scott Hinckley

Born Country: United States

American Men Male Criminals

More Facts

education: Texas Tech University

Childhood & Early Life
John Warnock Hinckley Jr. was born on May 29, 1955, in Ardmore, Oklahoma, to John Warnock Hinckley Sr. and Jo Ann Hinckley. He is from a wealthy family. His father was a businessman. He was the president of ‘World Vision United States.’ He has a brother named Scott and a sister named Diane.
His family moved to Texas when he was 4 years old. Hinckley Jr. attended the ‘Highland Park High School.’ In 1973, he graduated high school. Thereafter, Hinckley Jr. joined the ‘Texas Tech University.’ However, he dropped out soon. He moved to Los Angeles, hoping to become a songwriter. Not finding any success in this venture, he returned to his parents’ home. During this period, Hinckley Jr. turned reclusive. He was prescribed anti-depressants and tranquillizers to deal with emotional disturbances.
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Career
During the 1970s, John Hinckley Jr. started purchasing weapons and learned how to use them. In 1976, Hinckley watched the movie ‘Taxi Driver.’ It was a movie in which the protagonist tried to assassinate a presidential candidate. Jodie Foster was the lead actor of the movie. She played the role of a child prostitute.
After watching ‘Taxi Driver,’ Hinckley Jr. became infatuated with Jodie Foster. When Foster joined ‘Yale University’ in Connecticut, Hinckley, too, shifted to Connecticut. He joined a writing class, only to get close to Foster. Hinckley Jr. spent most of his time stalking her. He wrote her several messages and poems and even tried to contact her over telephone.
Even after repeated attempts, Hinckley Jr. was unable to attract the attention of Foster. He devised plans to become popular, just to impress her. Hinckley Jr. planned to assassinate President Jimmy Carter and started following him. However, he was arrested for possession of arms. After this failed attempt, Hinckley Jr. returned to his parents’ home.
Although Hinckley Jr. underwent psychiatric treatment for depression, his condition did not improve much. In 1981, when Ronald Reagan was elected as the president of the US, Hinckley Jr. started devising plans to assassinate him. Before the attempted murder, he wrote a letter to Foster, revealing his plans and his reasons for executing them.
On March 30, 1981, when President Ronald Reagan was leaving ‘Hilton Hotel,’ in Washington, D.C., Hinckley Jr. fired a revolver at him. Though the president was not directly hit, a bullet ricocheted and hit him on the chest. Police officer Thomas Delahanty, ‘Secret Service’ agent Timothy McCarthy, and Press Secretary James Brady were also injured in the shooting. After the incident, Hinckley Jr. did not try to flee. He was arrested on the spot.
After his arrest, Hinckley Jr. was charged with 13 offenses. At his trial in 1982, he was found to be not guilty, by reason of insanity. Though psychiatric experts categorized him as insane, prosecution reports mentioned him as “legally sane.” There was a widespread public uproar following the verdict that declared Hinckley Jr. not guilty. Several states altered their laws regarding the admissibility of mental illnesses in court proceedings.
Hinckley Jr. was admitted to the ‘St. Elizabeth’s Hospital.’ He was treated for conditions such as schizoid disorder, dysthymia, and aggressive disorder. He was considered as a dangerous man who could harm himself or others. According to Hinckley, his act was “the greatest love offering in the history of the world.” He was disappointed that his actions had failed to impress Foster.
In 1999, Hinckley Jr. was allowed to make supervised visits to his parents’ home. After years of treatment, in 2016, a federal judge ruled that he was fit to be released from hospital. He was to live with his mother and was to follow several conditions upon release. Hinckley was barred from accessing alcohol, violent music, and online pornographic sites. In November 2018, the court ruled that Hinckley Jr. could move out of his mother’s home and live independently. There is no information about his current whereabouts.
Family & Personal Life
John Hinckley Jr. is not married. During his time at ‘St. Elizabeths Hospital,’ he was reportedly in a relationship with a girl named Leslie deVeau, who was also a patient.

See the events in life of John Hinckley Jr. in Chronological Order

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Article Title
- John Hinckley Jr. Biography
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- Editors, TheFamousPeople.com
Website
- TheFamousPeople.com
URL
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/john-hinckley-jr--49045.php

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