Would-Be Reagan Assassin John Hinckley Jr. To Leave Mental Hospital
WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork/AP) — The man who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan will be allowed to leave a Washington mental hospital and live full-time in Virginia, a judge has ruled.
John Hinckley Jr. is ready to live in the community, Judge Paul L. Friedman ruled Wednesday, granting him full time convalescent leave that shall begin no sooner than Aug. 5.
Friedman's ruling comes more than 35 years after the March 30, 1981, shooting outside a Washington hotel in which Reagan and three others were injured.
CBS2's Dana Tyler reported Hinckley will be living full-time with his 90-year-old mother in a gated golf course development in Virginia.
Doctors have said for many years that Hinckley, 61, who was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the shooting, is no longer plagued by the mental illness that drove him to shoot Reagan in an effort to impress actress Jodie Foster.
Hinckley's release from Washington's St. Elizabeths hospital has been more than a decade in the making. In late 2003, the judge allowed Hinckley to begin leaving the hospital for day visits with his parents in the Washington area. He has been spending 17 days each month at his mother's home since the same judge granted him partial release.
"I don't think they should fear him because I don't think, you know, that he is a danger to anyone," hospital worker Sandra Kochersperger said.
In 2006, Hinckley began visiting his parents' home in Williamsburg, Virginia, for three-night stretches. That time has increased over the years so that for more than the last year he has been allowed to spend 17 days a month at the home, which is in a gated community and overlooks a golf course. Reagan himself died in 2004 at the age of 93.
While outside the hospital, Hinckley has had to comply with a series of restrictions, and a number of those will continue now that he will be living full time in the community.
He will have to attend individual and group therapy sessions and is barred from talking to the media. He can drive, but there are restrictions on how far he can travel, where he can travel, and he is required to carry a GPS enabled phone when he is away from home. The Secret Service also periodically follows him.
"Now, until the day he dies, the Secret Service will be a part of his life," former Secret Service Agent Dan Emmet said.
He also faces several Internet restrictions, barred from all social media platforms (unless specific permissions are granted) as well as Googling his own name, porn, weapons and the names of his victims. He is prohibited from using drugs or carrying a weapon.
Despite the restrictions, life in Williamsburg will likely be busy for Hinckley. According to court records and testimony at a recent court hearing on the issue of his release, he has spent time volunteering at a church as well as a local mental hospital.
He has attended meetings for people living with mental illness, talks at a local art museum and concerts. His hobbies include painting and playing the guitar and he has recently developed an interest in photography. He's also indicated he'd like to get a full-time job and at one point went to Starbucks and Subway to talk about applying.
"I don't like flipping around the TV, I want to do things," a court document quoted him saying.
He also has said he wants to "fit in" and be "a good citizen."
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute issued a statement, saying, "Contrary to the judge's decision, we believe John Hinckley is still a threat to others and we strongly oppose his release."
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