John Hinckley Jr., the man who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981, says he's opening a music store in Williamsburg, Virginia.
He posted on X Monday that his store will be open "in a week or two" and listed the store's address, drawing reactions ranging from support to outrage that he is a free man.
On March 30, 1981, Hinckley shot and injured Reagan, then-White House press secretary James Brady, a Secret Service agent, and a police officer.
Brady, who was shot in the head, died in 2014 after suffering medical complications for the rest of his life. His death was ruled as a homicide. The Brady Act, which established America's federal background check system for gun sales, was named for him.
Hinckley has been fully free since 2022, after spending more than 30 years in a mental health facility after he was found not guilty of the assassination attempt by reason of insanity. He was initially given a conditional release to his mother's home in 2016 but was granted his full freedom six years later.
He's been trying to build a music career since 2022 and has posted some of his music to his channel on YouTube. He says he has an upcoming performance in February and has performed at several concerts.
One follower on X quipped that he was "Glad you're giving it a shot," but some others argued that he should never have been let out of prison.
"Your mental excuse kept you from prison," one user said, while another wrote, "It is an injustice you're even free to do this. Another sad decision by a liberal justice system."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.