Hinckley: Hilton shooting 'spooky' as WHCD security debate resurfaces

John Hinckley Jr., who shot Ronald Reagan in 1981, told TMZ the Washington Hilton shooting during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was “spooky,” criticizing the hotel’s security as lax. The WHCD was canceled after a gunman shot at a Secret Service agent at an interior checkpoint; Cole Tomas Allen is charged with attempted assassination. Hinckley, released from mental-health supervision in 2022, noted the eerie coincidence of the Hilton hosting a presidential event, while Hilton officials said security protocols were in place. The article also notes Hinckley’s remarks after a 2024 Trump rally incident and his memoir published in December.