NATIONAL NEWS

Hinckley says he’s sorry for shooting that wounded Reagan

Jun 28, 2022, 3:03 PM
FILE - In this Nov. 18, 2003, file photo, John Hinckley Jr. arrives at U.S. District Court in Washi...
FILE - In this Nov. 18, 2003, file photo, John Hinckley Jr. arrives at U.S. District Court in Washington. A federal judge in Washington is holding what is expected to be the final hearing for would-be Reagan assassin John Hinckley before he is released from restrictive conditions he has lived under since he shot the president in 1981. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The man who wounded President Ronald Reagan in 1981 apologized for his actions Tuesday and said he doesn’t remember what he was feeling when he fired the shots that also wounded three others.

John Hinckley Jr. told CBS Mornings in his first televised interview since he was freed from all court oversight this month that he feels sorry for all the lives his actions affected.

“I feel badly for all of them. I have true remorse for what I did,” Hinckley said. “I know that they probably can’t forgive me now, but I just want them to know that I am sorry for what I did.”

Going back to that day, Hinckley recalled Reagan walking out of the Washington Hilton after giving a speech: “And I was right there, and I fired shots at him, which so unfortunately hit other people, too.”

Asked what feelings led him to shoot, Hinckley said he can’t remember those emotions and doesn’t want to.

“It’s such another lifetime ago. I can’t tell you now the emotion I had right as (Reagan) came walking out. I can’t tell you that,” he said, later adding: “It’s something I don’t want to remember.”

Hinckley was 25 and suffering from acute psychosis when his gunshots wounded Reagan and three others. The assassination attempt paralyzed Reagan press secretary James Brady, who died in 2014. It also wounded a police officer and a Secret Service agent.

Hinckley told Major Garrett, CBS News’ chief Washington correspondent, that he’s glad he didn’t succeed. He said that at the time of the shooting he did “not have a good heart” and was doing things “a good person doesn’t do.”

Jurors found Hinckley not guilty by reason of insanity and he spent decades at a mental hospital in Washington.

“I was not just a cold, calculating criminal in 1981,” he said. “I truly believe I had a serious mental illness that was preventing me from knowing right from wrong back then.”

Hinckley began making visits to his parents’ home in Williamsburg, Virginia, in the early 2000s. A 2016 court order granted him permission to live with his mother full time, albeit under various restrictions, after experts said his mental illness had been in remission for decades.

He signed a lease on a one-bedroom apartment in the Williamsburg area last year and has been living alone there with his cat, according to court documents. His mother died in July. He’s also been releasing songs online and looking for a venue willing to let him sing and play guitar before a live audience.

Hinckley had previously been under restrictions that barred him from owning a gun, using drugs or alcohol or contacting members of the victims’ families. But a federal judge in Washington had said months ago that he would free Hinckley from those restrictions if he remained mentally stable. Those restrictions were lifted on June 15.

Tuesday’s apology was not Hinckley’s first. His attorney Barry Levine said during a court hearing last year that Hinckley wanted to express his “heartfelt” apologies and “profound regret” to the people he shot and their families as well as to actress Jodie Foster, who he was obsessed with at the time of the shooting, and to the American people.

As Hinckley expressed his regrets on Tuesday, he said he hopes to soften the public’s perception of him.

“I’m just trying to show people I’m kind of an ordinary guy who’s just trying to get along like everybody else,” he said.

But he doesn’t expect to see forgiveness from his victims, saying: “I really don’t think that the Brady family or the Reagan family or Jodie Foster – I don’t think they want to hear from me.”

“I feel terrible for what I did,” he said. “If I could take it all back, I would. I swear — I would take it all back.”

KSL 5 TV Live

Top Stories

National News

PONTIAC, MI - MARCH 22: Jennifer Crumbley and her husband James Crumbley, parents of the alleged te...
Lauren del Valle and Zoe Sottile

Ethan Crumbley’s parents will stand trial for involuntary manslaughter

The parents of the Oxford High School shooter will stand trial on four counts of involuntary manslaughter the appellate court says.
13 hours ago
A wolverine was spotted Monday by people fishing on the Columbia River near Portland. (Cascadia Wil...
Amanda Jackson

Wolverine spotted outside its normal range for the first time in over 30 years

A wolverine was spotted this week by people fishing on the Columbia River near Portland, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
13 hours ago
Mortgage rates dropped again this week for the second week in a row. This image shows a residential...
Anna Bahney

Mortgage rates fall for a second week

Mortgage rates dropped again this week for the second week in a row amid lingering concerns about bank failures and uncertainty in the financial markets.
13 hours ago
A male student shot and wounded two adult faculty members at a Denver high school on Wednesday, acc...
Colleen Slevin and Jesse Bedayn

Denver high school shooting suspect dead, coroner confirms

A coroner's office says a body found in the Colorado woods near an abandoned car was that of a 17-year-old student accused of wounding two administrators in a shooting at his Denver high school.
13 hours ago
FILE: Hyundai logo. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)...
Associated Press

Park outside: Hyundai, Kia recall vehicles due to fire risk

Hyundai and Kia are telling owners of over 571,000 SUVs and minivans in the U.S. to park them outdoors because the tow hitch harnesses can catch fire while they are parked or being driven.
13 hours ago
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 10: Lindsay Lohan visits "The Drew Barrymore Show" at CBS Broadcast C...
David Goldman

Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul and others charged $400,000 for violating disclosure rules

The SEC charged Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul and several other celebrities with failing to disclose that they were paid to promote crypto.
2 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Happy diverse college or university students are having fun on their graduation day...
BYU MBA at the Marriott School of Business

How to Choose What MBA Program is Right for You: Take this Quiz Before You Apply!

Wondering what MBA program is right for you? Take this quiz before you apply to see if it will help you meet your goals.
Close up of an offset printing machine during production...
Les Olson IT

Top 7 Reasons to Add a Production Printer to Your Business

Learn about the different digital production printers and how they can help your company save time and money.
vintage photo of lighting showroom featuring chandeliers, lamps, wall lights and mirrors...
Lighting Design

History of Lighting Design | Over 25 Years of Providing Utah With the Latest Trends and Styles

Read about the history of Lighting Design, a family-owned and operated business that paved the way for the lighting industry in Utah.
Fiber Optical cables connected to an optic ports and Network cables connected to ethernet ports...
Brian Huston, CE and Anthony Perkins, BICSI

Why Every Business Needs a Structured Cabling System

A structured cabling system benefits businesses by giving you faster processing speeds and making your network more efficient and reliable.
notebook with password notes highlighted...
PC Laptops

How to Create Strong Passwords You Can Actually Remember

Learn how you can create strong passwords that are actually easy to remember! In a short time you can create new ones in seconds.
house with for rent sign posted...
Chase Harrington, president and COO of Entrata

Top 5 Reasons You May Want to Consider Apartment Life Over Owning a Home

There are many benefits of renting that can be overshadowed by the allure of buying a home. Here are five reasons why renting might be right for you.
Hinckley says he’s sorry for shooting that wounded Reagan