Dateline: Secrets Uncovered: Where is attempted Ronald Reagan assassin John Hinckley Jr. now?

This week's Dateline: Secrets Uncovered is all set to dive into one of the most historically significant crimes of all time, the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley Jr. The gunman was a mentally unstable criminal who fired at the president six times to impress actress Jodie Foster after drawing inspiration from Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976).

Dating back to 1981, the then 25-year-old John Hinckley Jr. allegedly had an unhealthy obsession with the actress. After failing to get her attention in any other way, he decided to assassinate the newly elected President, Ronald Reagan. Though Reagan survived the attempt, he was critically wounded after a bullet rebounded off his car. Additionally, police officer Thomas Delahanty, Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy, and press secretary James Brady also sustained injuries in the process.

After being apprehended and charged with 13 counts of criminal misconduct, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity. He remained confined at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington, D.C. till 2016, after which a federal judge allowed him to go free.

He relocated to a one-bedroom apartment in Williamsburg after living with his mother for several years. He was granted unconditional release earlier this year and plans to pursue songwriting.

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John Hinckley Jr. launched a YouTube channel for his songs in 2020

John Hinckley Jr. became one of the most infamous names in the world after he fired six shots at the President in 1981, effectively injuring Ronald Reagan and those around him.

After locals tackled Hinckley and beat him, he was arrested and charged with 13 counts of criminal misconduct. John Hinckley Jr. suffered from erotomania, a subtype of delusional disorder, and was fixated on Jodie Foster.

In his trial, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity on June 21. Though this led to widespread protests, he was confined at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C. He slowly began to recover and was allowed home visits in 1999. He was then permitted to have extended stays outside the hospital in 2009. In 2011, a psychologist deemed John Hinckley Jr. as recovered to the point of not being a danger to himself or others.

On July 27, 2016, a federal judge ruled that Hinckley could be released from St. Elizabeths, but he was kept under strict supervision and restrictions. These restrictions ranged from a ban on violent films to Hinckley having to keep a record of his browser history.

John Hinckley Jr. continued to work on his music after his release. In 2020, the court ruled that he could showcase his artwork, prompting him to launch a YouTube channel for his songs. He continues to upload song covers and originals online.

He was initially ordered to live with his mother but moved out to a one-bedroom apartment in Williamsburg after her death. He resides there with his cat and enjoys playing music. He leads an ordinary social life, maintains a vinyl collection, and talks to his neighbors. Many young people and musicians have encouraged him to continue making art for a living.

The upcoming episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered will look into the case in detail when it airs on October 19, 2022, at 8.00 pm EST.