M8k8 slotan who shot Reagan in 1981 to get full freedom

The man who shot and nearly killed president Ronald Reagan 41 years ago will be granted an unconditional release on June 15, a federal judge said Wednesday.

John Hinckley Jr will be free from all remaining restrictions on that date as long as he continues to do well living in Williamsburg, Virginia, as he has for years, US District Court Judge Paul Friedman said. In September, the judge announced he would lift the restrictions this month.

At a hearing Wednesday in Washington DC, which Hinckley didn't attend, Friedman said Hinckley "has been scrutinized. He's passed every test. He's no longer a danger to himself or others" and will be freed from all restrictions this month.

Federal prosecutors, mental health professionals and Hinckley's legal team told Friedman on Wednesday that they have no concerns about his mental state. Prosecutors said they wish Hinckley "the best" and said his success is a testament to the value of proper mental health care.

Hinckley, 67, spent two decades in a mental hospital after he was found not guilty in the March 30, 1981, attack on Reagan and declared insane.

Starting in 2003, Hinckley began, with the judge's approval, making visits to his parents' home in Williamsburg. His father died in 2008, but in 2016, Hinckley was given permission to live with his mother full time. She died in 2021, and he moved out.

He was required to attend therapy sessions, was barred from talking to the media and could only travel within a limited area. The Secret Service would also periodically follow him.

The shooting of Reagan was fueled by Hinckley's obsession with the 1976 movie Taxi Driver and its female co-star, Jodie Foster. In the movie, the main character, played by Robert De Niro, at one point attempts to kill a presidential candidate. Hinckley had become obsessed with Foster, believing the attack would impress her.

Friedman said that Reagan "was very close to death" and his decision on Hinckley didn't come lightly.

Barry Levin, Hinckley's attorney, said Hinckley wishes he could "undo" his actions and wished to apologize to the Reagan family. Levin said the agreement to free Hinckley resulted from medical professionals reaching a "unanimous" decision about his mental fitness.

On Wednesday, Reagan's foundation issued a statement: "The Reagan Foundation and Institute is both saddened and concerned that John Hinckley Jr will soon be unconditionally released and intends to pursue a music career for profit."

Hinckley has a YouTube channel and a record label and has sold books online. In 1981, Hinckley shot at Reagan with a .22 caliber revolver as the president was leaving a Washington DC hotel. Hinckley fired six shots but didn't hit Reagan directly; the president was struck by a bullet that ricocheted off his limousine. The bullet hit a rib before puncturing Reagan's left lung, causing severe internal bleeding.

Agencies contributed to this story.