John Hinckley Jr. is expressing his thoughts on the Donald Trump shooting, and his stance may come as a shock to some as he is denouncing the attempted assassination.
The former convict, who was responsible for the shooting of Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, used social media on Wednesday to comment on the recent incident where Thomas Matthew Crooks attempted to shoot Trump. This marks the first assassination attempt on a current or former president since Hinckley’s attack. In a new post shared to his X account Hinckley wrote: “Violence is not the way to go. Give peace a chance.”
Hinckley’s call for peace was met with some backlash by some online users who expressed doubts about his credibility to offer advice on restoring political order following the assassination attempt on Trump.
John Hinckley Jr. was acquitted on grounds of insanity after attempting to impress Jodie Foster by shooting Ronald Reagan in 1981. Tragically, Reagan’s press secretary, James Brady, was left paralyzed by the attack and passed away in 2014 due to his injuries.
After spending close to three decades in a mental health facility, John was released in 2016. Since then, he has turned to music, learning to play the guitar and sharing his songs on his YouTube channel.
Earlier this year, he expressed frustration that cancel culture was hindering his career, leading to a decrease in his social media activity. Nevertheless, he has now spoken out on this particular issue.