Dateline: Secrets Uncovered- Who is John Hinckley Jr.?

Dateline: Secrets Uncovered is all set to dive into one of the most intriguing cases of all time, the assassination attempt of President Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley Jr. Hinckley allegedly tried to kill the president in an attempt to impress Jodie Foster, the starlet from Martin Scorcese's Taxi Driver. This attempt garnered the attention of the global media and is still considered one of the most significant events in American history.

Titled Hinckley: Diary of a Dangerous Mind, the upcoming episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered will dive into some unknown facts from this infamous incident by going through Hinckley's diary, which will give the viewers a glimpse into the criminal's mind.

On March 30, 1981, John Hinckey Jr. attempted to kill the president by firing six bullets from a .22 caliber revolver. The assassination attempt was unsuccessful but he ended up wounding several others, including press secretary James Brady, who never recovered from the injuries. Hinckley was later deemed not guilty by reason of insanity.

Hinckley was released from psychiatric care after almost three decades in 2016. He had a restricted release which allowed him only certain privileges. He was released unconditionally earlier this year.

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Who is John Hinckley Jr. and what did he do?

Born in Ardmore, Oklahoma, John Hinckley Jr. was from a wealthy family and eventually wanted to become a songwriter. He had long-standing emotional problems and often did odd things. He purchased weapons and practiced with them from a young age.

After watching Martin Scorcese's Taxi Driver (1976), Hinckley began an unhealthy obsession with Jodie Foster, who played Iris Steensma, a s*xually trafficked 12-year-old child in the film. He soon started stalking her. After numerous unanswered messages and attempts to meet, John Hinckley Jr. allegedly decided to do something to get her attention. This included fantasies of hijacking an airplane and killing himself in front of her.

He finally decided to assassinate the president to get her attention, in sync with Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver, who attempted to assassinate the presidential candidate in the film. He soon began targeting the newly elected Ronald Raegan. Before he attempted to kill Ronald Raegan, he wrote a letter to Jodie Foster that said:

"Over the past seven months I've left you dozens of poems, letters and love messages in the faint hope that you could develop an interest in me. Although we talked on the phone a couple of times I never had the nerve to simply approach you and introduce myself. ... The reason I'm going ahead with this attempt now is because I cannot wait any longer to impress you."

On March 30, 1981, John Hinckley Jr. shot Reagan six times as the president was leaving the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., after a conference. He failed to hit the president, instead injuring police officer Thomas Delahanty and Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy. He also hit James Brady, the press secretary, and wounded him critically. Brady remained paralyzed until his death in 2014.

Though Reagan was not directly hit, a bullet rebounded off his car and hit him near the ribs. Reagan was brought to the hospital in critical condition but stabilized soon after.

John Hinckley Jr. was charged with 13 offenses but was found not guilty by reason of insanity. He was put in psychiatric care, where he lived till 2016.

The upcoming episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered will cover this case in detail. The episode will air on Wednesday October 19, 2022, at 8 pm ET.