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 read

PEKIN, Sick. -- 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 people in 2018 at a Waffle Home in Tennessee.

A choose convicted Jeffrey Reinking last week of unlawful delivery of a firearm to an individual who had been treated for psychological illness within the past 5 years, the ( Peoria) Journal Star reported. He remains 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 well being treatment in 2016.

In Could 2016, police and fire personnel responded to a pharmacy car parking zone in Morton the place Travis Reinking instructed 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 delivered to 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 well being points at the hospital. Sullivan stated he knew his son was delivered to the hospital but didn’t know why, and was not guilty of the charge.

As a result of the younger Reinking had his firearm owner’s identification card revoked by Illinois State Police, he couldn't legally have guns throughout the state. Travis Reinking surrendered his weapons to his father, who later returned them to him sooner or later before the fatal capturing at a Waffle Home in Nashville, prosecutors mentioned.

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 jail without the possibility of parole after being convicted of 4 counts of first-degree murder and different 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.

Evidence at Travis Reinking's trial showed he had schizophrenia and suffered delusions for years, believing unknown folks have been tormenting him. He contacted law 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 fulfill with then-President Donald Trump.