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

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 House in Tennessee

ByThe Associated Press

19 Could 2022, 17:42

• 3 min learn

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

A choose convicted Jeffrey Reinking final week of unlawful supply of a firearm to an individual who had been treated for mental sickness within the past five years, the ( Peoria) Journal Star reported. He remains free on bond pending his sentencing, which is set for June 17.

Throughout 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 therapy in 2016.

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

Experiences the Journal Star obtained in 2018 confirmed Travis Reinking was brought to 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 client didn’t know his son had been handled for psychological well being points at the hospital. Sullivan mentioned he knew his son was dropped at the hospital however didn’t know why, and was not responsible of the cost.

As a result of the youthful 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 taking pictures at a Waffle House in Nashville, prosecutors stated.

The assault-style rifle he utilized in that attack, 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 potential for parole after being convicted of 4 counts of first-degree homicide and different expenses. 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.

Evidence at Travis Reinking's trial showed he had schizophrenia and suffered delusions for years, believing unknown folks were tormenting him. He contacted regulation enforcement several times 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 House grounds and demanded to meet with then-President Donald Trump.