Hinckley, who shot Reagan, thanked him after winning freedom

By JESSICA GRESCO June 2, 2022 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) – John Hinckley Jr., who shot President Ronald Reagan in 1981, thanked the people who helped him gain freedom from judicial oversight.

U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman released Hinckley from all other restrictions in September, but said his order would not take effect until this month. On Wednesday, the judge held a final hearing in Hinckley’s case and said his release would take place as scheduled for June 15th.

Hinckley, 67, sings and plays guitar and hopes to pursue a musical career. He was not at the hearing, but wrote a short thank-you note on Twitter on Wednesday night.

“Many thanks to everyone who helped me get my unconditional release,” he wrote. “What a strange journey that has been. Now is the time for rock’n’roll. “

In July, Hinckley plans to give a concert in New York. Appearances in Connecticut and Chicago for what he called the “John Hinckley Redemption Tour” have been canceled. Hinckley also shares his music on a YouTube channel.

Hinckley was imprisoned in a psychiatric hospital in Washington for more than two decades after a jury found him not guilty of insanity in the Reagan shooting. But he has shown no signs of active mental illness for decades, the judge reiterated Wednesday, and has shown no violent behavior or interest in guns.

“He is no longer a danger to himself or others,” Friedman reiterated on Wednesday.

In 2003, Friedman began allowing Hinckley to spend more and more time in the community with requirements such as attending therapy and restrictions on where he could travel. Hinckley has been living full-time in Virginia since 2016, although he is still under restrictions, including allowing employees access to his electronic devices and meetings with mental health officials.