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Brooklyn Venue Cancels Would-Be Reagan Assassin John Hinckley Jr.'s Concert After Backlash
John Hinckley Jr., the man who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan 41 years ago, will not be performing at his previously scheduled concert in Brooklyn, New York.
The venue hosting the aspiring musician canceled the sold-out event over security concerns of "vulnerable communities."
\u201cJohn Hinckley Jr. was released from court supervision this week, 41 years after his attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981. https://t.co/szmZ25RmlM\u201d— billboard (@billboard) 1655410726
Two months after Reagan's first inauguration on March 30, 1981, Hinckley tried to impress actress Jodie Foster–whom he was obsessed with–by trying to kill the President outside a hotel in Washington D.C. with a .22 caliber revolver.
He failed in his mission but ended up wounding Reagan, several members of his security detail, and his Press Secretary James Brady–who became permanently disabled as a result of his injuries.
Brady died in 2014, and because Hinckley critically wounded him, Brady's death was ruled a homicide.
Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was consequently committed to a psychiatric institution for over three decades.
Since being released from institutional psychiatric care in 2016, he was released albeit with many restrictions while living full-time at his mother's home in addition to other strict conditions imposed on him.
This week, his remaining restrictions were lifted and he became a free man.
\u201cJohn Hinckley Jr., who shot and wounded President Reagan four decades ago, has been freed from all court restrictions, ending years of government oversight https://t.co/rXahRYmPaV\u201d— CNN (@CNN) 1655353810
Hinckley had been trying to establish himself as a music artist while under court supervision. He started a YouTube channel featuring him performing covers and original songs–many of which were also featured on Spotify.
Here is a clip of him performing one of his original songs, "You and I Are Free."
John Hinckley Sings “You and I Are Free” Original Songyoutu.be
He gained over 24,500 YouTube followers by late December 2021.
The 67-year-old was scheduled to perform in front of his fans on June 15 at the Market Hotel concert hall in Brooklyn but after "serious consideration," they announced the cancellation of his performance.
The venue said they initially approved the performance because "it sounded like an interesting gathering and a memorable night."
\u201c@nytimes Can someone pls explain why anyone would have scheduled this in first place? This country has gone so far down the sewer we can't even see daylight anymore.\u201d— The New York Times (@The New York Times) 1655337609
They added that hosting "provocative happenings for its own sake was valid" and that it sends a message that "mental health issues and a criminal past can be recovered from and atoned for, after serving one's debts to society."
\u201c@nytimes Really bad judgement by whomever organized that show.\u201d— The New York Times (@The New York Times) 1655337609
However, they maintained:
“If we were going to host an event for the principle, and potentially put others at risk in doing so, it shouldn’t be for some stunt booking — no offense to the artist."
“We might feel differently if we believed the music was important and transcended the infamy, but that’s just not the case here.”
Twitter was flummoxed over how Hinckley's performance was greenlit in the first place.
\u201c@nytimes Good, he should not be out, much less profiting off trying to ki11 a president\u2026\u201d— The New York Times (@The New York Times) 1655337609
\u201c@HuffPost I don't like it. Imagine anyone giving a mulligan to OJ Simpson or the Son of Sam or the Unibomber.\u201d— HuffPost (@HuffPost) 1655392451
\u201c@nypost I am still amazed that\nA) He was booked in the first place, and \nB) The event sold out (must be a lot of ghouls in Brooklyn)\n\nDespite the cancellation, i think A and B mean we\u2019re doomed\u2026\u201d— New York Post (@New York Post) 1655356591
\u201c@FoxNews Who the hell thought that would be a good idea?\u201d— Fox News (@Fox News) 1655388773
The Market Hotel concluded its post with:
"It is not worth a gamble on the safety of our vulnerable communities to give a guy a microphone and a paycheck from his art who hasn't had to earn it, who we don't care about on an artistic level, and who upsets people in a dangerously radicalized, reactionary climate."