Americans watched in horror 30 years ago when John Hinckley shot President Ronald Reagan — as well as a Secret Service officer, a police officer and Mr. Reagan’s press secretary, James Brady — outside a Washington hotel.
All four survived, fortunately, though Mr. Brady was permanently disabled by the head wound he suffered.
Hinckley was later found to be insane.
Hinckley has lived many of the years since the shootings at Washington’s St. Elizabeths Hospital, and he has been allowed some visits to his mother’s home in nearby Virginia.
Now, however, a push is on to allow Hinckley to be away from the hospital for up to 24 days — and there is even discussion of letting him live away from the hospital permanently. A judge in Washington is hearing arguments on that possibility.