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 folks in 2018 at a Waffle Home in Tennessee

ByThe Related Press

19 May 2022, 17:42

• 3 min learn

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

A choose convicted Jeffrey Reinking last week of illegal supply of a firearm to a person who had been handled for psychological illness throughout the past five years, the ( Peoria) Journal Star reported. He remains free on bond pending his sentencing, which is ready 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 psychological well being therapy in 2016.

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

Reviews 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.

But Jeffrey Reinking’s legal professional, Kevin Sullivan, argued at trial that his consumer didn’t know his son had been handled for psychological well being issues at the hospital. Sullivan mentioned he knew his son was delivered to the hospital however didn’t know why, and was not guilty of the cost.

Because the youthful Reinking had his firearm owner’s identification card revoked by Illinois State Police, he could not legally have weapons inside the state. Travis Reinking surrendered his weapons to his father, who later returned them to him at some point earlier than the deadly taking pictures at a Waffle House 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 for parole after being convicted of four counts of first-degree homicide and different fees. He opened hearth inside 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 were tormenting him. He contacted law 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.