Notice how the thugs who shot the pope and Ronald Reagan will be freed but the criminal who shot John Lennon will be in jail for life.
Notice that John Lennon ...DIED???... while the Pope and Reagan didn't die.
Um, wait.
(Yeah, I know. I'm just being a smartass.)
Let them go free if they are incompetent? Release them so they can get more range-time and do better next time?