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 individuals in 2018 at a Waffle Home in Tennessee

ByThe Associated Press

19 Could 2022, 17:42

• 3 min learn

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

A choose convicted Jeffrey Reinking last week of unlawful supply of a firearm to an individual who had been handled for psychological sickness throughout the previous five years, the ( Peoria) Journal Star reported. He remains 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 Could 2016, police and fire personnel responded to a pharmacy car parking zone 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 confirmed Travis Reinking was brought to a Peoria hospital for an analysis after that incident and had agreed to go to the hospital.

However Jeffrey Reinking’s attorney, Kevin Sullivan, argued at trial that his consumer didn’t know his son had been handled for psychological health points on the hospital. Sullivan stated he knew his son was dropped at the hospital but didn’t know why, and was not guilty of the charge.

As a result of the younger Reinking had his firearm proprietor’s identification card revoked by Illinois State Police, he could not legally have guns within the state. Travis Reinking surrendered his guns to his father, who later returned them to him in some unspecified time in the future earlier than the deadly shooting at a Waffle House in Nashville, prosecutors mentioned.

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

Travis Reinking was sentenced in February to life in prison with out the potential for parole after being convicted of four counts of first-degree murder and other costs. 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.

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