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 people in 2018 at a Waffle Home in Tennessee

ByThe Related Press

19 Might 2022, 17:42

• 3 min learn

PEKIN, Ill. -- 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 House in Tennessee.

A judge convicted Jeffrey Reinking final week of illegal delivery of a firearm to a person who had been handled for psychological sickness throughout 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 May 13 bench trial, Tazewell County prosecutors argued that the agricultural Morton, Illinois, man knew his son, Travis Reinking, had undergone psychological well being therapy in 2016.

In Could 2016, police and fireplace 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.

Stories the Journal Star obtained in 2018 showed Travis Reinking was dropped at a Peoria hospital for an analysis after that incident and had agreed to go to the hospital.

However Jeffrey Reinking’s lawyer, Kevin Sullivan, argued at trial that his shopper didn’t know his son had been handled for psychological well being issues at the hospital. Sullivan mentioned he knew his son was brought to the hospital but didn’t know why, and was not guilty of the charge.

Because the younger Reinking had his firearm proprietor’s identification card revoked by Illinois State Police, he couldn't legally have weapons throughout the state. Travis Reinking surrendered his weapons to his father, who later returned them to him in some unspecified time in the future before the fatal taking pictures at a Waffle Home in Nashville, prosecutors stated.

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

Travis Reinking was sentenced in February to life in prison with out the opportunity of parole after being convicted of four counts of first-degree homicide 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 confirmed he had schizophrenia and suffered delusions for years, believing unknown folks were tormenting him. He contacted legislation enforcement several instances 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 meet with then-President Donald Trump.