After decades in a mental hospital following a successful insanity defense, John Hinckley Jr. will be unconditionally released this month.
U.S. District Court Judge Paul Friedman announced Wednesday that Hinckley’s release date is June 15.
Hickley nearly killed President Ronald Reagan and severely wounded White House Press Secretary James Brady outside of the Washington Hilton in March 1981. He also shot a Secret Service agent and Washington, D.C. police officer in the attack.
Brady died in 2014. Authorities ruled his death a homicide, linking it to the gunshot wound that left him permanently disabled 33 years before. However, prosecutors chose to not file new charges against Hinckley after Brady’s death.
Prosecutors expected Judge Friedman to fulfill his promise made last year to release Hinckley by June 15, 2022, provided he didn’t show signs of severe mental illness, violent tendencies or an interest in weapons.
The New York Daily News reports:
“He has been in full, sustained remission for more than 25 years,” Friedman reportedly said Wednesday. “He has followed every condition imposed by the court. He has demonstrated self-awareness and responsibility for his mental illness. He has been under a microscope like none of us have ever been.”
Hinckley, 67, used his time in recovery to sharpen his musical skills. He wrote on Twitter in April that he will perform a sold-out concert in Brooklyn on July 8. He has posted music videos on YouTube for songs he recorded including “You And I Are Free” and “Places I Have Been.”
Hinckley hoped the attack would impress actress Jodie Foster, whom he became obsessed with after watching the film “Taxi Driver.”
This article originally appeared in American Liberty News. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of The Republican Standard. Republished with permission.