The man who shot President Ronald Reagan and three other people in 1981 will not face new charges in the death last summer of Mr Reagan's former press secretary.

John Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the shootings of Mr Reagan and three others, including his then-press secretary James Brady.

Hinckley has been committed to a psychiatric hospital for the past 32 years.

Mr Brady suffered debilitating injuries in the shooting and died in August aged 73.

The Virginia medical examiner's office ruled his death a homicide. But new criminal charges against Hinckley were considered unlikely.

US attorney Ronald Machen announced today that Hinckley will not be charged, in part because prosecutors are barred from arguing now that Hinckley was sane at the time of the shootings.

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