John Hinckley shot Reagan and three others with a revolver outside a Washington hotel in 1981.
Washington:
John Hinckley, who tried to assassinate US President Ronald Reagan in 1981, was released on Wednesday, six years after being released from a mental hospital.
Earlier this month, a Washington court ruled that after decades of treatment and psychiatric assessments, Hinckley no longer posed a threat and that the conditions on his life would be lifted upon his release on June 15.
“After 41 years, 2 months and 15 days, FREEDOM FINALLY!!!” he tweeted in celebration of Thursday.
Hinckley, now 67, shot Reagan and three others with a revolver outside a Washington hotel on March 30, 1981. Hinckley said he wanted to impress actress Jodie Foster, whom he became obsessed with after seeing her in the movie “Taxi Driver.” had seen.
All four people he shot survived, although Reagan press secretary James Brady was partially paralyzed and forced to use a wheelchair.
At his trial in 1982, Hinckley was found not guilty on the grounds of insanity and spent 34 years in St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, a psychiatric facility in Washington.
He was released in September 2016 but had to live with his elderly mother in a gated community in Williamsburg, Virginia, with a long list of restrictions.
Those include controls on his movements and monitoring of his electronic devices and online accounts.
He was also prohibited from contacting Foster or traveling to an area where a current or former president, vice president, or member of Congress would be present.
Hinckley was also not allowed to speak to the media or post any writings or memorabilia on the Internet, or display them in person without permission.
A government report on his status filed in court on May 19 said his mental health had “remained stable” and that his psychiatric illness had been in “complete and sustained remission” for decades.
“He has not reported or exhibited any psychiatric symptoms consistent with any mood, anxiety, or psychotic disorder,” it said.
In recent years, Hinckley has undergone music therapy and started playing guitar and singing original country folk songs on YouTube and other music sites.
In December he announced that he would release a CD of his music.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.)
