John Hinckley Jr, who wounded US President Ronald Reagan and three other people in a 1981 assassination attempt, should be freed after 35 years and released to live with his mother, a federal judge has ruled.
US District Judge Paul Friedman said Hinckley no longer posed a danger to himself or others and could be released from a government psychiatric hospital in Washington DC called St Elizabeths.
Hinckley, 61, "is permitted to reside full-time in Williamsburg, Virginia, on convalescent leave, which shall begin no sooner than August 5, 2016," Judge Friedman said in a 14-page order.
His mother lives in Williamsburg, about 210km south of Washington DC.
The order includes a requirement that Hinckley meets his psychiatrist in Washington DC at least once a month and notify the Secret Service when he travels for the appointment.
A jury found Hinckley not guilty by reason of insanity for the attack on Mr Reagan, which also badly wounded presidential press secretary James Brady.
Hinckley carried out the attack in a bid to impress actress Jodie Foster, with whom he was obsessed.
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The attack eventually became an important moment in the US debate over gun control with Mr Brady, who was left permanently disabled by his wound, and wife Sarah, becoming the country's leading gun control advocates.
His organisation helped the Brady Hand gun Violence Prevention Act become law in 1993, imposing federal background checks on gun purchases and a five-day waiting period.
The attempt on Mr Reagan's life also sparked intense debate over gun violence and the treatment of people with a mental illness.
A medical examiner attributed Brady's death in 2014 to the injuries received 33 years earlier, but no additional charges were filed against Hinckley.
The 1981 attack also badly wounded US Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy and local police officer Thomas Delahanty.
Since the 1990s, Hinckley has been permitted gradually longer supervised home visits with his mother, lately lasting up to 17 days.
Secret Service agents have tracked him during each such visit.
He was granted a Virginia driver's license in 2014, the Washingtonian magazine reported in May.
Hinckley has worked as a volunteer at the library of a psychiatric facility in Williamsburg after failing to secure employment at places such as Starbucks and Subway, the magazine wrote.
Members of Mr Reagan's family have consistently opposed Hinckley's release.
Daughter Patti Reagan Davis wrote on her website in 2015 that "I hope the doctors are right when they say that John Hinckley isn't a danger to anyone, but something in me feels they are wrong."
One thing troubling her, she said, was that while at St Elizabeths, Hinckley had written to mass murderers Ted Bundy and Charles Manson.
But Hinckley's attorney, Barry Levine, has argued since 2003 that evaluations by the hospital's officials showed that he no longer posed any threat.
The conditions on Hinckley's release include a ban on contact with survivors of any of the victims, as well as with Jodie Foster.
Hinckley must remain within 75km of his mother's home, and cannot travel to any area where a current or former president, vice president or member of congress is known to be.
He must return to St Elizabeths for monthly monitoring and must notify the Secret Service in advance about his intended route of travel.
He cannot post any writings or memorabilia on the internet or display them in person without authorisation.
The detailed conditions even include a requirement for monthly music therapy sessions with a board-certified music therapist.
