NOT A DANGER TO SOCIETY

Judge: John Hinckley Can Move Out of Mom’s House

The man who tried to kill Reagan in a psychotic episode decades ago will now be free to live independently after his release.

A federal judge ruled Friday that John Hinckley Jr., the man who tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981, can move out of his mother’s home and live on his own. U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman said Hinckley, 63, will not “pose a danger to himself or others” if he lives anywhere within 75 miles of Williamsburg, where he’d been ordered to live with his mother after his release from institutionalized psychiatric care in September 2016. The ruling grants Hinckley the most freedom he’s had yet since he shot and wounded Reagan and three other people in Washington. Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the shooting and spent years receiving treatment for psychosis, major depression, and narcissistic personality disorder before his release. Hinckley will now be required to meet at least twice a month with a social worker, a psychiatrist, and a therapist. He also can’t own a gun and will be barred from traveling anywhere where former or current U.S. presidents, vice presidents, and members of Congress are located.