– He has been examined. He has passed every test. He is no longer a danger to himself or others, Judge Paul Friedman said in court on Wednesday.
Hinckley was already released from the psychiatric hospital in 2016, where he has been cared for since the attempted murder more than 40 years ago. But he has lived with strict restrictions in Williamsburg, Virginia.
The new decision follows a set plan. Judge Friedman announced last fall, citing 67-year-old Hinckley’s improved mental state, that the restrictions would be lifted on June 15 this year as long as he continued to take care of himself.
The judge says that John Hinckley has not been violent or has shown interest in weapons in recent decades.
Hinckley’s lawyer Barry Friedman states that the case that “began with a troubled young man who inflicted great damage” has ended happily.
– I see it as if we have saved a life, he says.
It was on March 30, 1981, that Hinckley shot the then-new President Reagan and three others outside a hotel in Washington. Reagan, his press secretary, a police officer and a bodyguard were injured.
Hinckley’s explanation was that he wanted to fire the president to impress his idol, actor Jodie Foster. The court found him not guilty due to mental illness.
Ronald Reagan lived until 2004, while his wife Nancy passed away in 2016.
John Hinckley, who sings and plays guitar, has announced on Youtube that he intends to invest in music and release an album.