John Hinckley attempted to assassinate US President Ronald Reagan in 1981. He shot Reagan and three others with a revolver outside a Washington hotel. A trial was held and in 1982, he was held not guilty on grounds of insanity. He was admitted to St. Elizabeth’s hospital, a psychiatric institution in Washington for 34 years. He was released in 2016 but had to live with his mother in a gated community with a list of restrictions.
A Washington court held earlier this month that after decades of treatment and psychiatric reviews, Hinckley no longer presented a threat to society and said that he will be released. His release comes exactly after 41 years, 2 months and 15 days.
Hinckley is now 67 years old and he shot Reagan in order to impress actress Jodie Foster as he was obsessed with her. All the four people he shot survived but one of them is partially paralysed and is confined to a wheelchair.
