Reagan Shooter John Hinckley Says D.C. Hilton Not Secure, WHCD Shooting Proves It

John Hinckley -- the man who shot then-President Ronald Reagan in 1981 -- says the Washington Hilton Hotel should stop holding big events because it's not secure, and bad things keep happening there ... just like at Saturday night's White House Correspondents' Dinner.

And who knows better than Hinckley ... the Washington Hilton was the site where he shot Reagan and 3 other people in March 1981 in a failed assassination attempt. Hinckley was quickly arrested but later found not guilty by reason of insanity and placed in a mental hospital for over 34 years before gaining back his freedom.

TMZ spoke with Hinckley Sunday about security at the Washington Hilton, which has been a topic of national debate in the wake of Saturday night's WHCD shooting, with many people making comparisons to the Reagan shooting.

FOX News reporter Bill Melugin slammed the security measures at the WHCD event, writing on X his name was not checked against any list and he did not have to show ID, nor did he go through a metal detector.

Hinckley kicked off our convo by telling us he first learned about the WHCD shooting when a newsflash came up on his phone and he turned on the TV to watch some of the coverage. He said it was "spooky" to find out the WHCD shooting "took place at the same hotel as mine did."

As you know, the WHCD shooting occurred in the hotel lobby near the ballroom where President Trump, his cabinet officials, the First Lady and media were all gathered for the event. The alleged gunman, Cole Allen, fired several shots and Secret Service agents returned fire, but missed Allen, authorities said.

During the mayhem, a Secret Service agent was struck by a bullet, but was not injured thanks to his bulletproof vest. Allen was promptly arrested and is facing serious federal charges.

Hinckley is now calling on the hotel to stop holding events there "because bad things keep happening" and "it's just not a secure place to hold big events."

To illustrate his point, Hinckley described what happened back in '81 when he showed up at the hotel to shoot Reagan. He said back then, the security was "lax" too ... because he was able to sneak into a crowd of reporters waiting outside the hotel for Reagan to exit after delivering a speech. He said Secret Service agents never checked whether he was a reporter during their sweeps.

If they had, Hinckley said he would have bolted because he was not a journalist, had no press credentials and his devious plot would have likely been exposed. As a result, history might have turned out very differently.