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 people in 2018 at a Waffle House in Tennessee

ByThe Associated Press

19 Might 2022, 17:42

• 3 min read

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 decide convicted Jeffrey Reinking last week of illegal delivery of a firearm to a person who had been treated for psychological illness throughout the past 5 years, the ( Peoria) Journal Star reported. He stays free on bond pending his sentencing, which is about for June 17.

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

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

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

But Jeffrey Reinking’s lawyer, Kevin Sullivan, argued at trial that his consumer didn’t know his son had been treated for psychological health points at the hospital. Sullivan said he knew his son was dropped at the hospital however didn’t know why, and was not responsible 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 guns 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 used in that assault, an AR-15, was one of the weapons his father had returned to him.

Travis Reinking was sentenced in February to life in jail without the opportunity of parole after being convicted of four counts of first-degree murder and other charges. He opened fire 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 showed he had schizophrenia and suffered delusions for years, believing unknown people were tormenting him. He contacted law enforcement several 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 space on the White House grounds and demanded to fulfill with then-President Donald Trump.