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

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 folks in 2018 at a Waffle Home in Tennessee

ByThe Related Press

19 Might 2022, 17:42

• 3 min learn

PEKIN, Unwell. -- 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.

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

Throughout Reinking's May 13 bench trial, Tazewell County prosecutors argued that the agricultural 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 lot in Morton the place Travis Reinking told 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 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 consumer didn’t know his son had been treated for psychological health issues at the hospital. Sullivan mentioned he knew his son was brought to the hospital however didn’t know why, and was not guilty of the charge.

As a result of the youthful Reinking had his firearm owner’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 sooner or later before the deadly taking pictures at a Waffle House in Nashville, prosecutors mentioned.

The assault-style rifle he utilized in that attack, an AR-15, was one of the guns his father had returned to him.

Travis Reinking was sentenced in February to life in prison without the opportunity of parole after being convicted of four counts of first-degree homicide and other prices. 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.

Proof at Travis Reinking's trial showed he had schizophrenia and suffered delusions for years, believing unknown folks have been tormenting him. He contacted regulation 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 right into a restricted area on the White Home grounds and demanded to meet with then-President Donald Trump.