John Hinckley Jr: Attempted Ronald Reagan assassin fully released after 41 years

Attempted Ronald Reagan assassin John Hinkley Jr has been fully released after 41 years as a judge lifted all court supervision of his life.

US District Court Judge Paul Friedman had previously agreed to completely free Hinkley, who has lived in a Virginia community since 2016, on 15 June if he remained mentally stable.

“After 41 years 2 months and 15 days, FREEDOM AT LAST!!!,” Hinkley wrote on Twitter to celebrate the moment.

Hinckley, 67, attempted to assassinate Mr Reagan in 1981, and also shot then-White House press secretary James Brady, as well as a Secret Service agent and a Washington police officer.

Hinckley was acquitted by reason of insanity and spent the decades before his 2016 release in a Washington psychiatric hospital.

Judge Friedman said earlier this month that Hinkley has shown no mental illness since the 1980s, and no interest in weapons or violent behaviour.

“I am confident that Mr. Hinckley will do well in the years remaining to him,” the judge said during the 1 June hearing.

And he added: “This is the time to let John Hinckley move on with his life, so we will.”

Hinkley is now a keen musician and is set to play a concert in Brooklyn on 8 July.

“A big thank you to everyone who helped me get my unconditional release. What a long strange trip it has been. Now it’s time to rock and roll,” he tweeted on 1 June.