Judge Grants Reagan Shooter John Hinckley Jr. His Freedom After 35 Years
John Hinckley Jr. will live with his elderly mother in Williamsburg, Virginia
Thirty-five years after he tried to kill President Ronald Reagan, a judge has decided that John Hinckley Jr. can leave a mental hospital and live with his mother in Williamsburg, Virginia. News4's David Culver spoke with neighbors about the controversial release. (Published 2 hours ago)
President Ronald Reagan's would-be assassin will live full-time outside a mental hospital for the first time in over 35 years, NBC News reports.
A federal judge on Wednesday granted John Hinckley Jr. permission to live with his elderly mother in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Hinckley, now 61, must live with his mother for at least the first full year, Judge Paul Friedman ruled. After that, he can live in a separate home alone or with roommates, provided that members of his treatment team approve.
READ: Judge's Opinion in Release of John Hinckley, Jr.
Friedman said he is confident Hinckley's family can continue to pay for Hinckley's treatment and care. Hinckley will be able to apply for government benefits once he becomes a resident of Virginia.
Hinckley's freedom has been incrementally expanded since 2003, when he began leaving St. Elizabeth's hospital for daylong visits with his family.
Hinckley now spends 17 days a month at his mother's home.
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. The Secret Service also periodically follows him.
Judge to Rule on John Hinckley's Freedom
Prosecutors had consistently opposed Hinckley's efforts to gain more freedom, citing what they called a history of deceptive behavior. In July 2011, prosecutors said, Hinckley was supposed to go see a movie and instead went to a Barnes & Noble store, where Secret Service agents saw him looking at shelves that contained books about Reagan and the assassination attempt.
But on Wednesday, Reagan's son Michael Reagan defended Hinckley's release, saying his father forgave Hinckley for the attack and others should do the same.
However, the foundation honoring Reagan's legacy says it "strongly opposes" Hinckley's release.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute issued a statement Wednesday that read, in part, "Contrary to the judge's decision, we believe John Hinckley is still a threat to others and we strongly oppose his release."
Reagan's daughter Patti Davis agrees. In a statement published on her website Wednesday, Davis wrote that while she has forgiven her father's would-be assasin, she believes he should remain locked up.
"I too believe in forgiveness. But forgiving someone in your heart doesn't mean that you let them loose in Virginia to pursue whatever dark agendas they may still hold dear," Davis said.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump also called it a "mistake" to release Hinckley, whom he misidentified as "David Hinckley."
A former Secret Service agent who took Hinckley into custody after Hinckley shot Reagan called his release disappointing.
Danny Spriggs, who now works for The Associated Press, called the shooting the most "horrific incident" of his career. Spriggs said he believes Hinckley should remain under close scrutiny in a mental institution.
Doctors have said for many years that Hinckley, who was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the shooting, is no longer impaired by mental illness.
