John Hinckley Jr.’s improbable goal of moving on from would-be presidential assassin to touring musician was met with resistance locally this week after a booking in Athens was canceled shortly after being announced.
Hinckley shot President Ronald Reagan and three others in Washington, D.C. in 1981. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity the following year and was held in a government psychiatric hospital until his release in 2016. All post-release restrictions were fully lifted in June of this year.
Hinckley’s “lifelong dream,” according to a Washington Post story earlier this month, was to play music in front of a live audience. But a string of dates in the Northeast and Midwest on his self-described “Redemption Tour” were abruptly canceled, with the clubs citing safety concerns after receiving online threats.
Read this story now for free
To continue reading, sign up for our newsletter and get unlimited access to WABE.org
You can select your preferences for news and local content. We will never share your email address. Learn how your newsletter sign-up will support WABE and Public Media
