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 Home in Tennessee

ByThe Associated 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 4 folks in 2018 at a Waffle Home in Tennessee.

A choose convicted Jeffrey Reinking final week of unlawful delivery of a firearm to an individual who had been treated for psychological sickness throughout the previous 5 years, the ( Peoria) Journal Star reported. He remains free on bond pending his sentencing, which is ready for June 17.

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

In May 2016, police and fire personnel responded to a pharmacy parking lot in Morton where Travis Reinking told officers he believed singer Taylor Swift was stalking him and had hacked into his cellphone.

Stories the Journal Star obtained in 2018 confirmed 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 mental health points on the hospital. Sullivan said he knew his son was dropped at the hospital however didn’t know why, and was not guilty of the cost.

As a result of the younger Reinking had his firearm proprietor’s identification card revoked by Illinois State Police, he could not legally have weapons throughout the state. Travis Reinking surrendered his weapons to his father, who later returned them to him at some point earlier than the deadly capturing at a Waffle House in Nashville, prosecutors stated.

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 without the opportunity of parole after being convicted of 4 counts of first-degree homicide and other fees. 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 confirmed he had schizophrenia and suffered delusions for years, believing unknown people have been 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 right into a restricted space on the White Home grounds and demanded to meet with then-President Donald Trump.