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 House in Tennessee

ByThe Associated Press

19 Could 2022, 17:42

• 3 min learn

PEKIN, Ailing. -- 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.

A judge convicted Jeffrey Reinking last week of illegal delivery of a firearm to an individual who had been treated for mental illness within the previous five years, the ( Peoria) Journal Star reported. He remains free on bond pending his sentencing, which is ready 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 mental health remedy in 2016.

In May 2016, police and fire personnel responded to a pharmacy parking zone in Morton where 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 analysis after that incident and had agreed to go to the hospital.

But Jeffrey Reinking’s attorney, Kevin Sullivan, argued at trial that his client didn’t know his son had been treated for psychological health points at the hospital. Sullivan stated he knew his son was brought to the hospital but didn’t know why, and was not guilty of the cost.

Because the younger Reinking had his firearm owner’s identification card revoked by Illinois State Police, he could not legally have guns within the state. Travis Reinking surrendered his weapons to his father, who later returned them to him in some unspecified time in the future earlier than the fatal shooting at a Waffle House in Nashville, prosecutors mentioned.

The assault-style rifle he utilized in that assault, an AR-15, was one of the weapons 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 4 counts of first-degree murder and different costs. 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 confirmed he had schizophrenia and suffered delusions for years, believing unknown individuals have been tormenting him. He contacted regulation enforcement several 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 into a restricted area on the White Home grounds and demanded to fulfill with then-President Donald Trump.