John Hinckley, Who Attempted To Assassinate Reagan, To Get Full Freedom This Month

John Hinckley Jr., who shot President Ronald Reagan in 1981, has been determined to be “no longer a danger to himself or others,” by a federal judge on Wednesday. He will be released from all court restrictions on June 15.

It was first determined that Hinckley could be fully released from the legal and mental health system in September of last year if he managed to continue his streak of good behavior. Hinckley has been living in a Virginia community and did not attend the hearing to determine his freedom in person.

U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman concluded that Hinckley has “been scrutinized. He’s passed every test. He’s no longer a danger to himself or others.” Friedman also reflected that his judging of the case has been a “long road” as he has been assigned to it throughout the past 20 years.

Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity for shooting Reagan and subsequently spent over two decades in a mental hospital in Washington. Friedman noted that he has not displayed any signs of active mental illness since the 1980s, and has shown no violent behavior in that time either.

He was first allowed to make visits to his parent’s home in the 2000s and eventually got to move to his mother’s house in 2016 with several restrictions in place including allowing officials access to his electronics and online accounts, and having to give three days’ notice if he plans to travel more than 75 miles from Virginia.

Even Hinckley’s prosecutors agreed that he could be released if he continued to show improvement in his mental health. His lawyer Barry Levine said this long case “started with a troubled young man who inflicted great harm,” and concluded, “I think we have salvaged a life.”

Hinckley now lives alone in Virginia after his father died in 2008, and his mother died last year. He reportedly sells items at an antique mall, writes books that he sells online, and even started dabbling in music enough to sell out tickets for an upcoming concert in Brooklyn.

In the attack, no one was killed, but Reagan’s press secretary James Brady ended up partially paralyzed from his injuries. Hinckley was reportedly obsessed with the film Taxi Driver, which features the main character attempting to assassinate a politician. He said his motive was to gain enough fame to attract the attention of one of Taxi Driver‘s stars: Jodie Foster.