John Hinckley Jr., the man who shot President Reagan and others in 1981, will be freed after a judge granted him full-time convalescent leave from the psychiatric hospital where he has been for decades.
Judge Paul L. Friedman delivered the ruling Wednesday, releasing Hinckley, now 61, who shot Reagan and three others outside the Washington Hilton on March 30, 1981,
CBS News reported. His release will begin no sooner than Aug. 5.
Officials at St. Elizabeth's Hospital believe Hinckley is ready to transition to independent living.
Hinckley must follow strict conditions during his release, including carrying a GPS enabled phone, attending monthly treatment in D.C., weekly phone calls with health care professionals, finding a job or volunteer positions, and not speaking to the media.
Hinckley is no longer a danger to himself or others, Friedman wrote in a 103-page ruling,
published by The Washington Post.
The restrictions could begin to be phased out after 12 to 18 months, the Post said. If he violates the conditions of his release he could be returned to the government-run St. Elizabeth's hospital.
Since the 1990s, Hinckley has been allowed supervised visits at the home of his 90-year-old mother,
The Post reported. Those visits have gradually increased to 17 day a month. He will live at his mother's home in a gated community upon his release.
Hinckley was 25 when he shot 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. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 1982.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute objected to Hinckley's release, saying "contrary to the judge's decision, we believe John Hinckley is still a threat to others and we strongly oppose his release,"
NBC News reported.
President Reagan's son, Michael Reagan, urged forgiveness in a post on Twitter.
The decision also sparked a lot of outrage on Twitter.