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

National News

President Joe Biden will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on December...

Kevin Liptak, CNN

Biden to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at White House Tuesday

President Joe Biden will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House Tuesday as discussions on a Ukraine aid deal remain stalled in Congress.

12 hours ago

Former President Donald Trump attends his civil fraud trial on Dec. 7, in New York City.
(David Dee...

Jeremy Herb and Kara Scannell, CNN

Trump says he’s not testifying in his civil fraud trial Monday

Former President Donald Trump wrote on his social media platform Sunday that he is no longer planning to testify in his civil fraud trial in New York on Monday.

15 hours ago

handcuffs...

Chandler Watkins, CNN

Over 50 pounds of fentanyl seized in largest fentanyl bust by Oregon sheriff’s office

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said a months-long investigation ended in several arrests and resulted in one of the largest fentanyl seizures in state history and the largest in agency history.

16 hours ago

Amber Gardner looks at the debris from a friend's destroyed house in the West Creek Farms neighborh...

Kristin M. Hall, The Associated Press

Tennessee residents clean up after severe weekend storms killed 6 people and damaged neighborhoods

Central Tennessee residents and emergency workers cleaned up Sunday from severe weekend storms and tornadoes that killed six people and sent dozens more to the hospital while damaging buildings, turning over vehicles and knocking out power to tens of thousands.

16 hours ago

This March 20, 2018, file photo shows the Spotify app on an iPad in Baltimore. Spotify’s chief fi...

Mary Culbertson

Spotify CFO announces departure from company days after third round of layoffs

Spotify’s chief financial officer, Paul Vogel, is leaving next year, the music streaming service said — just days after the company announced its third round of layoffs for 2023.

18 hours ago

Secretary of State Antony Blinken appears on CNN's "State of the Union" on December 10. (CNN)...

By Jack Forrest and Sam Fossum, CNN

Blinken calls sexual violence inflicted by Hamas ‘beyond anything I’ve seen’

Secretary of State Antony Blinken forcefully condemned Hamas for sexual violence during the Oct. 7 attacks, and criticized those who were not quick enough to do the same.

19 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Stylish room interior with beautiful Christmas tree and decorative fireplace...

Lighting Design

Create a Festive Home with Our Easy-to-Follow Holiday Prep Guide

Get ready for festive celebrations! Discover expert tips to prepare your home for the holidays, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for unforgettable moments.

Battery low message on mobile device screen. Internet and technology concept...

PC Laptops

9 Tips to Get More Power Out of Your Laptop Battery

Get more power out of your laptop battery and help it last longer by implementing some of these tips from our guide.

Users display warnings about the use of artificial intelligence (AI), access to malicious software ...

Les Olson

How to Stay Safe from Cybersecurity Threats

Read our tips for reading for how to respond to rising cybersecurity threats in 2023 and beyond to keep yourself and your company safe.

Design mockup half in white and half in color of luxury house interior with open plan living room a...

Lighting Design

Lighting Design 101: Learn the Basics

These lighting design basics will help you when designing your home, so you can meet both practical and aesthetic needs.

an antler with large horns int he wilderness...

Three Bear Lodge

Yellowstone in the Fall: A Wildlife Spectacle Worth Witnessing

While most people travel to this park in the summer, late fall in Yellowstone provides a wealth of highlights to make a memorable experience.

a diverse group of students raising their hands in a classroom...

Little Orchard Preschool

6 Benefits of Preschool for Kids

Some of the benefits of preschool for kids include developing independence, curiosity, and learning more about the world.

Hinckley says he’s sorry for shooting that wounded Reagan