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

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 folks in 2018 at a Waffle Home in Tennessee

ByThe Related Press

19 Could 2022, 17:42

• 3 min learn

PEKIN, Ailing. -- An Illinois man faces as much as 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 judge convicted Jeffrey Reinking last week of illegal delivery of a firearm to an individual who had been handled for psychological illness within the past 5 years, the ( Peoria) Journal Star reported. He stays free on bond pending his sentencing, which is ready for June 17.

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

In May 2016, police and fire personnel responded to a pharmacy parking zone in Morton the place Travis Reinking instructed 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 brought to a Peoria hospital for an evaluation after that incident and had agreed to go to the hospital.

However Jeffrey Reinking’s lawyer, Kevin Sullivan, argued at trial that his client didn’t know his son had been treated for mental health issues on the hospital. Sullivan said he knew his son was dropped at the hospital however didn’t know why, and was not guilty of the charge.

As a result of the younger Reinking had his firearm owner’s identification card revoked by Illinois State Police, he couldn't legally have weapons inside the state. Travis Reinking surrendered his guns to his father, who later returned them to him in some unspecified time in the future earlier than the deadly shooting at a Waffle Home in Nashville, prosecutors said.

The assault-style rifle he utilized in that attack, 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 four counts of first-degree homicide and other fees. He opened hearth contained in 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 showed he had schizophrenia and suffered delusions for years, believing unknown people were tormenting him. He contacted regulation enforcement a number of occasions 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 area on the White Home grounds and demanded to meet with then-President Donald Trump.