John Hinckley Jr., the man who shot President Ronald Reagan and three others in 1981, will leave the psychiatric hospital where he has spent the last 35 years to live full time with his mother in Virginia on Sept. 10.
Hinckley, 61, is not a danger to himself or others, a federal judge ruled in July, paving the way for him to leave St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington, The Associated Press reported.
Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the shooting of Reagan, press secretary James Brady, U.S. Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy, and D.C. police officer Thomas Delahanty in an attempt to impress Hollywood actress Jodie Foster.
Judge Paul L. Friedman ruled that Hinckley has "not exhibited symptoms of major depression or psychotic disorder for more than two decades," the AP said.
"People of goodwill should celebrate his achievement and success," Hinckley's lawyer Barry Levine said Thursday, calling the release the result of a commitment to "responsibly deal with disease."
Hinckley has recently been given increasing freedom, staying with his mother for 17 days a month during the past two years.
According to the terms of his release, Hinckley must stay at his 90-year-old mother's house for at least a year, continue therapy, and find paid or volunteer work.
But finding work and acceptance could be a challenge, CNN reported.
"Even to work odd jobs is very difficult for a person who has not picked up a hammer in 35 years," said Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists president Les Solomon, who has been mentoring Hinckley.
Some residents of Williamsburg, Virginia, where Hinckley's mother, Jo Ann, lives, have expressed contempt for Hinckley, and he has been turned away by numerous businesses and charity organizations.
"I will never be able to personally forgive him for what he did," Jack Garrow, who lives near the Hinckleys, told CNN. "What he did was horrendous. I remember it vividly. It was shocking. … You have some sympathy for the family, for sure. They're very nice people. His mother is a fine lady and if him being here full time is a help to her, so be it."
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