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

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

ByThe Associated Press

19 May 2022, 17:42

• 3 min read

PEKIN, Sick. -- 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 four people in 2018 at a Waffle House in Tennessee.

A judge convicted Jeffrey Reinking final week of unlawful supply of a firearm to a person who had been treated for mental illness within the previous 5 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 agricultural Morton, Illinois, man knew his son, Travis Reinking, had undergone psychological well being remedy in 2016.

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

Reports 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 legal professional, Kevin Sullivan, argued at trial that his consumer didn’t know his son had been treated for psychological well being points on the hospital. Sullivan stated he knew his son was brought to the hospital but didn’t know why, and was not guilty of the cost.

Because the youthful Reinking had his firearm proprietor’s identification card revoked by Illinois State Police, he couldn't legally have guns within the state. Travis Reinking surrendered his guns to his father, who later returned them to him at some point earlier than the fatal shooting at a Waffle House in Nashville, prosecutors stated.

The assault-style rifle he used 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 without the possibility of parole after being convicted of 4 counts of first-degree homicide and other charges. 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.

Evidence at Travis Reinking's trial showed he had schizophrenia and suffered delusions for years, believing unknown folks have been tormenting him. He contacted law enforcement a number of 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 House grounds and demanded to fulfill with then-President Donald Trump.