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 House in Tennessee

ByThe Associated Press

19 May 2022, 17:42

• 3 min read

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 folks in 2018 at a Waffle House in Tennessee.

A choose convicted Jeffrey Reinking last week of unlawful supply of a firearm to a person who had been handled for mental illness throughout the previous five years, the ( Peoria) Journal Star reported. He stays free on bond pending his sentencing, which is ready 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 well being therapy in 2016.

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

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

However Jeffrey Reinking’s legal professional, Kevin Sullivan, argued at trial that his client didn’t know his son had been handled for psychological health issues at the hospital. Sullivan said he knew his son was brought 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 owner’s identification card revoked by Illinois State Police, he couldn't legally have guns inside the state. Travis Reinking surrendered his weapons to his father, who later returned them to him at some point before the fatal taking pictures at a Waffle Home in Nashville, prosecutors stated.

The assault-style rifle he used 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 jail without the potential of parole after being convicted of 4 counts of first-degree homicide and other expenses. 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.

Evidence at Travis Reinking's trial showed he had schizophrenia and suffered delusions for years, believing unknown people have been 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.