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

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 individuals in 2018 at a Waffle Home in Tennessee

ByThe Related Press

19 Could 2022, 17:42

• 3 min read

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 four individuals in 2018 at a Waffle House in Tennessee.

A choose convicted Jeffrey Reinking final week of unlawful delivery of a firearm to a person who had been treated for mental illness throughout the past 5 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 rural Morton, Illinois, man knew his son, Travis Reinking, had undergone psychological health treatment in 2016.

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

Experiences the Journal Star obtained in 2018 showed Travis Reinking was dropped at 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 consumer didn’t know his son had been treated for mental health points at the hospital. Sullivan stated he knew his son was delivered to the hospital however didn’t know why, and was not guilty of the charge.

As a result of the youthful Reinking had his firearm owner’s identification card revoked by Illinois State Police, he couldn't legally have weapons throughout the state. Travis Reinking surrendered his guns 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 used 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 different fees. He opened hearth 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 folks had been tormenting him. He contacted legislation enforcement a number of 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 right into a restricted space on the White Home grounds and demanded to meet with then-President Donald Trump.