John Hinckley Jr, the man who tried to kill U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1981 to impress actress Jodie Foster, could be completely free by June 2022.
The man who tried to kill President Ronald Reagan will soon be completely free
According to court documents, a federal judge on Monday upheld an agreement between the Justice Department and Hinckley, who was released from a psychiatric hospital in 2016 after more than 30 years of confinement.
The rules of his judicial control (restriction of movement, medical visits, etc.) will be completely lifted in nine months on the condition that he continues to respect them and that he remains “mentally stable,” Judge Paul Friedman said during a hearing reported by U.S.
media.
“If he had not attempted to kill a president, he would have been granted full freedom a long, long time ago,” the magistrate said.
Found criminally irresponsible
“Unlike the judge, we believe John Hinckley remains a threat to others and we strongly oppose his release,” reacted the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation in a statement.
His lawyer Barry Levine, quoted by Fox channel, hailed on the contrary “a great day for mental health”.
John Hinckley, now 66, shot the U.S. president in front of the Hilton Hotel in Washington on March 30, 1981. He said he wanted to impress actress Jodie Foster, whom he had seen in the movie “Taxi Driver.” The courts found him criminally irresponsible.
One of his bullets ricocheted off the armored presidential limousine and wounded Ronald Reagan in the chest, passing very close to the heart. Three others were wounded, including James Brady, then White House spokesman, who was left partially paralyzed and speech impaired.
