Hinckley is the murderer of Brady and attempted murderer of Reagan, police officer Thomas Delahunty, and Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy.
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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”. But that doesn’t mean he agrees with it. Thurman says John Hinckley comes in about once a month and always buys something, whether it’s a book about The Who or a 45 rpm record.
Delahanty tells AP he’s “not too enthused” about Hinckley’s release. Brady became an advocate for gun control and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence used Hinckley’s release to renew its call for universal background checks for gun purchases.
“Hinckley no longer poses a danger to himself or others and will be freed to live full-time with his mother in Williamsburg, Va., effective as soon as August 5 subject to dozens of temporary treatment and monitoring conditions”, U.S. District Judge Paul L Friedman of Washington wrote in a statement on Wednesday.
In little more than a week, the only living man to have shot an American president could pack his bags and leave a Washington psychiatric hospital for the last time.
“John Hinckley is responsible for the shooting of President Reagan and three other fearless men”, read a statement released by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, obtained by ET.
Some of his mother’s neighbors in Williamsburg have always been wary of Hinckley.
And while many have expressed dismay and even outrage, several have welcomed the man often seen around town in a generic baseball cap. He must attend individual and group therapy sessions and is barred from talking to the media. A local photographer is also mentoring him.
Some of the conditions of Hinckley’s leave could be eliminated or reduced within 12 to 18 months, but if he violates the remaining conditions he still could be taken back to the hospital. He’ll also be barred from trying to contact surviving victims and their families, along with actress Jodie Foster, whom he was trying to impress when he shot the president.
Hinckly, now 61, was confined at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C., after the trial, but starting in late 2003, District Judge Paul L. Friedman allowed him to leave the hospital for day visits with his parents. 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. If his 90-year-old mother, Jo Ann, is unable to monitor him, his brother or sister, who both live in the Dallas area, have agreed to stay with him until other arrangements are made.
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“The court finds that Mr. Hinckley has received the maximum benefits possible in the inpatient setting (and) that inpatient treatment is no longer clinically warranted or beneficial”, Friedman wrote. He will now live there full-time.
