Ronald Reagan shooter John Hinckley Jr. freed

Would-be presidential assassin John Hinckley Jr. was discharged from St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington, DC, on Saturday, more than 35 years after the March 30, 1981 shooting.

The "Washington Post" cited his lawyer Barry Levine, who confirmed that his client would leave the facility on Saturday morning, adding that Hinckley will be a "citizen about whom we can all be proud."

A federal judge ruled in late July that 61-year-old Hinckley is not a danger to himself or the public, and can live full-time at his mother's home in Williamsburg, where he has been visiting regularly since the 1990s.

Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity at a 1982 trial and was diagnosed with depression and psychosis, both of which are now in remission, according to his doctors.

Under the terms of his release, he will have to work or volunteer at least three days a week, and continue to undergo both group and individual therapy, while seeing his psychiatrist twice a month.

As a 25-year-old college dropout, Hinckley said he wanted to kill Reagan to impress actress Jodie Foster, with whom he became obsessed after watching the 1976 film "Taxi Driver."

Reagan's family and his presidential foundation have consistently opposed Hinckley's release. Foster hasn't spoken about him since 1981.

The former president suffered a punctured lung during the shooting but recovered quickly. His press secretary, James Brady, was left permanently disabled and eventually died of his injuries in 2014.

The shooting led to improved gun controls, with a 1993 bill named after Brady that imposed background checks and a waiting period. The US Secret Service, whose job it is to protect the president, also toughened its security procedures.

mm/cmk (AFP, AP, Reuters)