John Hinckley Jr., Reagan's would-be assassin, calls for peace in social media post

Editor's note: The video above is from an exclusive interview WAVY conducted with John Hinckley Jr. in March.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – The recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania has sparked more than just politicians sharing their comments on social media.

John Hinckley Jr., the man who attempted the assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981, has taken to X, formerly Twitter, to condemn violence.

"Violence is not the way to go," Hinckley's post reads. "Give peace a chance."

Trump was injured after a bullet grazed his ear at his Pennsylvania rally on July 13. Additionally, a former firefighter attending the rally was killed while shielding his family, and two others were hurt.

Although Trump was not specifically mentioned in Hinckley's post, many have interpreted his message as a response to the recent shooting at the Trump rally.

Still, some users have been taking jabs at the post, saying that Hinckley's sentiment was perhaps a little ironic considering his own history.

Hinckley was granted unconditional release in June of 2022, having spent around 34 years at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington D.C., and then several years under a more restrictive conditional release. He currently resides in Williamsburg, Virginia.

In previous interviews with Nexstar's WAVY, Hinckley said he is turning his life around through his music.

“I had a lot of therapy,” Hinckley said back in March. “I had a lot of time outside on the grounds. I developed a cat colony at the hospital when I was out on my grounds privileges. I took care of a bunch of cats and they helped me get through my day.”