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 individuals in 2018 at a Waffle Home in Tennessee

ByThe Related Press

19 Might 2022, 17:42

• 3 min learn

PEKIN, Sick. -- 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 4 individuals in 2018 at a Waffle House in Tennessee.

A choose convicted Jeffrey Reinking final week of unlawful delivery of a firearm to an individual who had been handled for psychological illness inside the previous five years, the ( Peoria) Journal Star reported. He stays free on bond pending his sentencing, which is about for June 17.

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

In Might 2016, police and fire personnel responded to a pharmacy parking zone in Morton the place Travis Reinking told 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 brought to 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 treated for psychological health points on the hospital. Sullivan stated he knew his son was delivered to the hospital but didn’t know why, and was not responsible of the charge.

Because the youthful Reinking had his firearm owner’s identification card revoked by Illinois State Police, he couldn't legally have weapons inside the state. Travis Reinking surrendered his guns to his father, who later returned them to him sooner or later earlier than the deadly taking pictures at a Waffle Home in Nashville, prosecutors stated.

The assault-style rifle he utilized 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 prison with out the potential of parole after being convicted of four counts of first-degree homicide and other costs. He opened hearth 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 law enforcement several 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 area on the White House grounds and demanded to meet with then-President Donald Trump.