The shooting, just weeks into Ronald Reagan’s presidency, shocked the world. He also wounded police officer Thomas Delahanty, Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy and Press Secretary James Brady. He can also drive to and from Washington once a month for his outpatient meetings.
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Mr Reagan was shot in the lung, but recuperated. Reagan was hit in the chest and was hospitalized for 12 days. JFK, McKinley and Abraham Lincoln all died. He was the first American President that survived an attempt to murder.
The Reagan shooter is being released some time today, Saturday September 10, The New York Times reports. But he will not be a completely free man.
Under the terms of his release, he will have to work or volunteer at least three days a week, and continue to undergo both group and individual therapy, while seeing his psychiatrist twice a month.
Decades ago, Hinckley was found not guilty because of his insanity and was sent to the psychiatric hospital in Washington DC.
Hinckley’s lawyer Barry Levine was not immediately available for comment when contacted by AFP. “If those people who have concerns were fully informed, they’d have nothing to worry about”, Levine told The Post.
In July, a federal judge chose to grant Hinckley, 61, “full-time convalescent leave” from St. Elizabeth’s.
Hinckley fired a gun at President Reagan’s entourage as he left the Washington Hilton on March 30, 1981. John Hinckley’s release comes after a federal judge ruled in July that he is not a danger to himself or the public. The movie apparently inspired Hinckley to stalk relevant political figures to become famous and then capture Foster’s attention.
Reagan’s family have said they are strongly opposed to Hinckley’s release – and previous year, his daughter Patti wrote: “I hope the doctors are right when they say that John Hinckley isn’t a danger to anyone, but something in me feels they are wrong”.
Hinckley has slowly gained some freedoms since he was incarcerated.
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Reagan’s son called his release “shortsighted”.
