Waffle House Slayings: IL Man Faces Prison For Returning Guns To Son

ILLINOIS — An Illinois man faces prison time after a judge found that he illegally gave a rifle back to his son that was used to kill four people at a Nashville Waffle House in 2018.

Jeffrey Reinking of Morton was found guilty of illegal delivery of a firearm to a person who had been treated for mental illness within the past five years, according to the Peoria Journal Star. He faces up to three years in prison at his June 17 sentencing and is currently free on bond, the outlet reported.

Travis Reinking, now 33, was sentenced to life in prison without parole earlier this year for the April 22, 2018, mass shooting, which claimed the lives of Taurean Sanderlin, 29; Joey Perez, 20; Akilah Dasilva, 23; and DeEbony Groves, 21.

An attorney for Jeffrey Reinking argued that the father did not know Travis had been treated for mental illness when he returned the weapons to him, ABC reported. But prosecutors said the father was well aware of his son's mental health struggles.

In the years prior to the Waffle House shooting, Travis Reinking was involved in a series of incidents and had his Firearms Owner Identification card revoked and guns seized.

In July 2017, the Secret Service arrested Reinking after he climbed over a barrier and entered a restricted area at the White House. A spokesman for the Secret Service said Reinking insisted he wanted to set up a meeting with President Donald Trump and refused to leave.

A month before his White House arrest, police reports show that he was accused of jumping into a public pool wearing underwear and a pink women's housecoat. Pool workers told police Reinking began yelling at lifeguards and showing them his genitals. Earlier that same day, police reports indicate he had his AR-15 with him at his job at his father's crane company.

In another incident in May 2016, police were called to a CVS parking lot by Travis Reinking's worried family. There, police said he told them that singer Taylor Swift was harassing him, hacking into his phone and Netflix account, and telling him to meet her at a Dairy Queen. Police said Reinking told them he chased her to the roof of a building, but she was gone. In that incident, he was eventually taken into protective custody after threatening to harm himself.

After his July 2017 arrest at the White House, Travis Reinking was interviewed by both the FBI and local police, and the FBI requested that his FOID card be revoked and his guns seized.

Tazewell County Sheriff Robert M. Huston later said Reinking agreed to surrender four guns, including the AR-15, but that his father Jeffrey Reinking, who was also present and had a valid FOID card, asked for and was given permission to keep them.

Jeffrey Reinking later gave the guns back to his son, despite knowing he suffered from mental illness, authorities alleged.

After the June 2017 pool incident — a month before Reinking's arrest at the White House — his father told police he had taken three rifles and a handgun from his son and locked them up because Travis was having problems.

In August 2017, a month after Reinking's White House arrest, police gave him a copy of his FOID revocation and Reinking turned over his Illinois FOID card before assisting police with retrieving his weapons and ammunition.

"All weapons and ammunition were released to Jeffrey Reinking which holds a valid FOID card," Tazewell County police reports note. "Jeffrey was advised that he needed to keep the weapons secure and away from Travis. Jeffrey stated he would comply. The FOID card is being sent back to (Illinois State Police). No further action is being taken."

Travis Reinking later moved to Tennessee, bringing the weapons with him.

"(Travis) wanted to move out of state so he gave them back to him," the police report reads.

On April 22, 2018, the Metro Nashville Police Department said Travis Reinking was nude except for a green jacket when he began shooting outside the restaurant around 3:25 a.m. Police said he killed two people outside the Antioch neighborhood Waffle House before shooting out the large glass windows and going inside, where he continued firing.

MNPD said a Waffle House customer wrestled the rifle — which they described as "an assault-type rifle" — away from the gunman and threw it over a counter. Police said the shooter then took off his jacket and fled, naked, from the restaurant.

Travis Reinking was arrested the next day following a massive manhunt. At the time of his arrest, Reinking reportedly had a gun in his backpack.

Related:

• Waffle House Shooting Suspect's Father Could Face Federal Charges
• Waffle House Shooting Victims Identified
• Waffle House Shooting Suspect Had Guns Returned Before Tragedy
• Waffle House Hero Raises $100K+ For Victims On GoFundMe