AP catches up with John Hinckley, the man who shot Reagan


In 1981, John Hinckley Jr. tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan, shooting the president and three other people. Acquitted on grounds of insanity, Hinckley has spent most of the 34 years since in St. Elizabeth's psychiatric hospital in Washington, D.C. But since 2003, he has been allowed increasingly longer visits at his mother's house in Williamsburg, Virginia — since 2013, 17-day stretches out of the hospital, and perhaps more after a hearing this week.
The process of transitioning Hinckley back to life outside of confinement isn't without controversy, The Associated Press reports. Some people in Williamsburg are fine with the notorious part-time visitor, others are concerned. AP takes a look at his life now — he paints, plays guitar, and often wears hats and visors to avoid being recognized — in the video below. —Peter Weber
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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