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 4 people in 2018 at a Waffle Home in Tennessee

ByThe Related Press

19 Might 2022, 17:42

• 3 min learn

PEKIN, In poor health. -- 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 folks in 2018 at a Waffle Home in Tennessee.

A judge convicted Jeffrey Reinking last week of illegal supply of a firearm to a person who had been treated for mental sickness throughout the previous five years, the ( Peoria) Journal Star reported. He stays free on bond pending his sentencing, which is set 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 May 2016, police and fire personnel responded to a pharmacy parking lot 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 confirmed 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 lawyer, Kevin Sullivan, argued at trial that his client didn’t know his son had been treated for mental health issues on the hospital. Sullivan stated he knew his son was dropped at the hospital but didn’t know why, and was not responsible of the cost.

As a result of the youthful Reinking had his firearm owner’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 before the fatal shooting at a Waffle House in Nashville, prosecutors mentioned.

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

Travis Reinking was sentenced in February to life in jail without the opportunity of parole after being convicted of 4 counts of first-degree homicide and other fees. He opened fire inside 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 people were 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 satisfy with then-President Donald Trump.