John Hinckley – The Man Who Shot Ronald Reagan – Is Being Released (VIDEO)

John Hinckley, the man who shot Ronald Reagan, is going to be released from the mental health facility he has been living at for the last 35 years. A federal judge has granted a request for his release.

Ronald Reagan
Image via YouTube screengrab.

He has been living at a mental facility for decades. He will soon be living full-time with his mother. He is not allowed to try and contact any of his victims or their relatives. He also can’t contact actress Jodie Foster, the actress he was trying to “impress” with this act.

Senior U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman said in his ruling:

“Mr. Hinckley shall abide by all laws, shall not consume alcohol, illegal drugs… shall not possess any firearm, weapon, or ammunition and shall not be arrested for cause.”

When Hinckley was 25-years-old, he tried to kill Ronald Reagan. He fired the gun six times. Reagan was shot but recovered fine, unfortunately, a Secret Service agent was left paralyzed. Agent Tim McCarthy spent the rest of his life advocating for gun control.

Hinckley said that he did it to impress Jodie Foster. He watched her movie, Taxi Driver, multiple times. Foster played a teenage prostitute in the movie. He was found guilty by reason of insanity in June of 1982. Public outcry caused the standards to be raised for insanity pleas.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, which hosts the Reagan Library, said this in a statement:

“Contrary to the judge’s decision, we believe John Hinckley is still a threat to others, and we strongly oppose his release.”

Reagan’s son, Michael, tweeted this:

Over the decades, the mental health center has been slowly granting privileges to Hinckley. In 2003, he was allowed to go out on day trips. He appealed for his release because he felt that he was rehabilitated and his family was having a hard time paying his bills.

Here is a news story about his release:

Hi, I'm from Huntsville, AL. I'm a Liberal living in the Bible Belt, which can be quite challenging at times. I'm passionate about many issues including mental health, women's rights, gay rights, and many others. Check out my blog weneedtotalkaboutmentalhealth.com