Illinois man convicted of giving son rifle he used to kill 4

An Illinois man faces as much as three years in prison after being convicted of illegally giving his son an assault-style rifle he later used to shoot and kill four individuals in 2018 at a Waffle House in Tennessee

ByThe Related Press

19 May 2022, 17:42

• 3 min learn

PEKIN, Ailing. -- An Illinois man faces up to three years in jail after being convicted of illegally giving his son an assault-style rifle he later used to shoot and kill 4 people in 2018 at a Waffle Home in Tennessee.

A choose convicted Jeffrey Reinking last week of illegal supply of a firearm to an individual who had been handled for mental sickness inside the past five years, the ( Peoria) Journal Star reported. He stays free on bond pending his sentencing, which is about for June 17.

During Reinking's Could 13 bench trial, Tazewell County prosecutors argued that the rural Morton, Illinois, man knew his son, Travis Reinking, had undergone mental health treatment in 2016.

In May 2016, police and fireplace personnel responded to a pharmacy parking zone in Morton where Travis Reinking told officers he believed singer Taylor Swift was stalking him and had hacked into his cellphone.

Stories the Journal Star obtained in 2018 confirmed Travis Reinking was delivered to a Peoria hospital for an evaluation after that incident and had agreed to go to the hospital.

But Jeffrey Reinking’s legal professional, Kevin Sullivan, argued at trial that his client didn’t know his son had been handled for psychological well being issues at the hospital. Sullivan stated he knew his son was dropped at the hospital but didn’t know why, and was not guilty of the charge.

As a result of the youthful Reinking had his firearm proprietor’s identification card revoked by Illinois State Police, he could not legally have weapons within the state. Travis Reinking surrendered his weapons to his father, who later returned them to him at some point earlier than the fatal capturing at a Waffle Home in Nashville, prosecutors said.

The assault-style rifle he used in that assault, an AR-15, was one of many weapons his father had returned to him.

Travis Reinking was sentenced in February to life in prison with out the potential of parole after being convicted of 4 counts of first-degree homicide and other expenses. He opened hearth inside the restaurant on April 22, 2018, killing Taurean Sanderlin, 29; Joey Perez, 20; Akilah Dasilva, 23; and DeEbony Groves, 21.

Proof at Travis Reinking's trial confirmed he had schizophrenia and suffered delusions for years, believing unknown people have been tormenting him. He contacted regulation enforcement several times to report that he was being threatened, stalked and harassed.

In July 2017, he was detained by the Secret Service after he ventured unarmed into a restricted space on the White Home grounds and demanded to satisfy with then-President Donald Trump.