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 4 individuals in 2018 at a Waffle House in Tennessee

ByThe Associated Press

19 Could 2022, 17:42

• 3 min learn

PEKIN, Ill. -- 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 4 people in 2018 at a Waffle House in Tennessee.

A judge convicted Jeffrey Reinking last week of unlawful delivery of a firearm to a person who had been treated for mental illness within 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 May 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 Could 2016, police and fireplace personnel responded to a pharmacy parking zone in Morton the place Travis Reinking instructed officers he believed singer Taylor Swift was stalking him and had hacked into his cellphone.

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

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

Because the youthful Reinking had his firearm proprietor’s identification card revoked by Illinois State Police, he couldn't legally have weapons within the state. Travis Reinking surrendered his weapons to his father, who later returned them to him in some unspecified time in the future before the deadly taking pictures at a Waffle House in Nashville, prosecutors said.

The assault-style rifle he utilized 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 opportunity of parole after being convicted of 4 counts of first-degree homicide and different 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.

Evidence at Travis Reinking's trial showed he had schizophrenia and suffered delusions for years, believing unknown people were tormenting him. He contacted legislation enforcement several times 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 House grounds and demanded to meet with then-President Donald Trump.