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

An Illinois man faces as much as 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 Associated Press

19 May 2022, 17:42

• 3 min learn

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 four individuals in 2018 at a Waffle House in Tennessee.

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

Throughout Reinking's Could 13 bench trial, Tazewell County prosecutors argued that the rural Morton, Illinois, man knew his son, Travis Reinking, had undergone mental health treatment in 2016.

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

Studies the Journal Star obtained in 2018 showed Travis Reinking was brought 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 handled for psychological health points on the hospital. Sullivan mentioned he knew his son was dropped at the hospital but didn’t know why, and was not responsible of the charge.

As a result of the youthful Reinking had his firearm proprietor’s identification card revoked by Illinois State Police, he couldn't legally have guns throughout the state. Travis Reinking surrendered his weapons to his father, who later returned them to him at some point earlier than the fatal taking pictures at a Waffle House in Nashville, prosecutors mentioned.

The assault-style rifle he used 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 jail without the potential for parole after being convicted of 4 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 confirmed he had schizophrenia and suffered delusions for years, believing unknown folks have been tormenting him. He contacted regulation enforcement a number of 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 space on the White Home grounds and demanded to satisfy with then-President Donald Trump.