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 4 individuals in 2018 at a Waffle House in Tennessee

ByThe Associated Press

19 May 2022, 17:42

• 3 min read

PEKIN, Ill. -- 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 4 individuals in 2018 at a Waffle Home in Tennessee.

A judge convicted Jeffrey Reinking final week of illegal supply of a firearm to a person who had been treated for psychological sickness throughout the past five years, the ( Peoria) Journal Star reported. He stays free on bond pending his sentencing, which is set 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 remedy in 2016.

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

Reviews the Journal Star obtained in 2018 confirmed Travis Reinking was dropped at 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 client didn’t know his son had been handled for mental health issues on the hospital. Sullivan stated he knew his son was brought to the hospital however didn’t know why, and was not responsible of the cost.

As a result of the youthful Reinking had his firearm proprietor’s identification card revoked by Illinois State Police, he could not legally have guns throughout the state. Travis Reinking surrendered his weapons to his father, who later returned them to him sooner or later earlier than the deadly capturing at a Waffle House in Nashville, prosecutors stated.

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 jail without the potential for parole after being convicted of four counts of first-degree murder and different costs. He opened fireplace 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 confirmed he had schizophrenia and suffered delusions for years, believing unknown folks have been tormenting him. He contacted legislation 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 House grounds and demanded to fulfill with then-President Donald Trump.