John Hinckley, Jr. —Who Attempted to Assassinate Ronald Reagan — Wins Release from All Restrictions
John Hinckley Jr., the man who attempted to assassinate the late President Ronald Reagan, will be released in June 2022 from all restrictions.
A federal judge approved on Monday an agreement between the Department of Justice and Hinckley’s lawyer.
Hinckley, 66, attempted to kill Reagan in 1981 outside a hotel in Washington, D.C. Reagan survived being shot, while a few of his aides were also wounded. Then-White House Press Secretary James Brady suffered the worst with brain damage and was permanently disabled. Brady succumbed to his brain injuries in 2014.
In 1982, Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity but was committed to a psychiatric hospital for over three decades. He was released in 2016 as his restrictions lessened. These restrictions included having no contact with “actress Jodie Foster, whom he said helped inspire his assassination attempt, as well as the families of Reagan and others wounded during” the assassination attempt, reported NPR. Hinckley was also prohibited from owning a firearm.
Additionally, according to NPR:
The court has allowed him to release art work and music under his own name, and Hinckley created a YouTube channel where he sings and plays guitar. He had been working in a Virginia antique mall before the coronavirus pandemic.
His lawyer said Hinckley wanted to express apologies and “profound regret” to the families of his victims, Foster and the American people. He cast the eventual release as a “victory for mental health.”
Levine, a longtime lawyer for Hinckley, said his client has followed the rules and the law for years.
“His mental disease is in full, stable and complete remission and has been so for over three decades,” Levine said.
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