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

An Illinois man faces up to 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 Home in Tennessee

ByThe Related Press

19 May 2022, 17:42

• 3 min read

PEKIN, In poor health. -- 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 judge convicted Jeffrey Reinking last week of illegal delivery of a firearm to an individual who had been handled for psychological sickness throughout the previous 5 years, the ( Peoria) Journal Star reported. He remains free on bond pending his sentencing, which is set for June 17.

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

In May 2016, police and hearth 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.

Studies the Journal Star obtained in 2018 confirmed 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 lawyer, Kevin Sullivan, argued at trial that his client didn’t know his son had been handled for mental well being points on the hospital. Sullivan said he knew his son was brought to the hospital but didn’t know why, and was not guilty of the cost.

Because the younger Reinking had his firearm proprietor’s identification card revoked by Illinois State Police, he could not legally have weapons inside the state. Travis Reinking surrendered his guns to his father, who later returned them to him at some point before the fatal taking pictures at a Waffle House in Nashville, prosecutors mentioned.

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 jail with out the potential for parole after being convicted of four counts of first-degree murder and other costs. He opened fire 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 were tormenting him. He contacted legislation enforcement a number of occasions 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 House grounds and demanded to meet with then-President Donald Trump.