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 House in Tennessee

ByThe Associated Press

19 May 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 four people in 2018 at a Waffle House in Tennessee.

A decide convicted Jeffrey Reinking last week of illegal delivery of a firearm to a person who had been handled for psychological illness within the previous 5 years, the ( Peoria) Journal Star reported. He remains free on bond pending his sentencing, which is about for June 17.

During Reinking's Might 13 bench trial, Tazewell County prosecutors argued that the agricultural 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 zone in Morton the place Travis Reinking informed officers he believed singer Taylor Swift was stalking him and had hacked into his cellphone.

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

But Jeffrey Reinking’s attorney, Kevin Sullivan, argued at trial that his shopper didn’t know his son had been handled for psychological health points at the hospital. Sullivan said he knew his son was delivered to the hospital however 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 could not legally have guns inside the state. Travis Reinking surrendered his guns to his father, who later returned them to him sooner or later earlier than the deadly capturing at a Waffle Home in Nashville, prosecutors stated.

The assault-style rifle he used in that assault, 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 possibility of parole after being convicted of 4 counts of first-degree murder and different 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.

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