Would-be Reagan assassin ready to be ‘a good citizen’
John W Hinckley Jr, who spent more than 35 years in a psychiatric hospital following his attempt to assassinate United States President Ronald Reagan in 1981, will be released into his mother’s care as early as next month under a federal court order issued yesterday.
US District Judge Paul L Friedman of Washington said that Hinckley, 61, no longer posed a danger to himself or others. Experts had found that his major depression and psychotic disorder were ‘‘in full and sustained remission and have been for more than 20 years’’, and that he was ‘‘clinically ready’’ to leave the hospital. He could be freed as soon as August 5.
‘‘I don’t like flipping around the TV, I want to do things,’’ a court document quoted Hinckley saying. He also has said he wants to ‘‘fit in’’ and be ‘‘a good citizen’’.
If he adheres to strict guidelines regarding his activities, Hinckley could be fully removed from court control in as little as a year.
Hinckley, who shot Reagan and three others outside the Washington Hilton hotel on March 30, 1981, was found not guilty by reason of insanity at a 1982 trial and ordered confined for treatment at St Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington.
His release is subject to strict guidelines. He must live at his mother’s home in Williamsburg, Virginia, and is restricted to an 80-kilometre radius. He is barred from accessing social media, and must undergo treatment at St Elizabeth’s at least once a month.
The court order says Hinckley ‘‘shall have no contact whatsoever’’ with specific individuals, including actress Jodie Foster.
In a letter to Foster written on the eve of the assassination attempt, Hinckley displayed an obsession with her and emphasised that his act was an attempt to impress her.