NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A murderer's father is facing jail time, marking the end of the criminal prosecution in the Antioch Waffle House mass shooting case.
A jury already sentenced convicted shooter Travis Reinking to life in prison. Now Reinking's father is going to prison as well.
Travis Reinking killed four people at the Antioch Waffle House in 2018. Five years after that massacre, his father Jeffrey will do time for providing the weapon used in the shooting.
Last year, a Davidson County jury found Travis Reinking guilty in the Waffle House shooting, where he used an AR-15 to kill four people and injure four others. It was later revealed Reinking had obtained that weapon and others from his father in Illinois — raising this issue from the ATF: "Could his father have violated gun laws by giving him the weapons? It is possible if you transfer weapons knowingly to a person who is prohibited... that could be a violation of federal law," said Marcus Watson with the ATF in 2018.
It turns out what happened was a violation of Illinois state law — where Travis Reinking's family lives.
The court found Jeffrey Reinking illegally returned the AR-15 rifle to his son who had been deemed mentally ill.
There were concerning incidents -- Travis exposed himself at a public pool, he had been arrested for trespassing at the White House and he believed Taylor Swift was harassing him. So, Travis' Firearm Owners ID card had been revoked in Illinois and his guns were given to his father. But, his father then returned the weapons when his son moved to Tennessee.
The District Attorney in Davidson County says that never should have happened and that Jeffrey Reinking had to know of his son's mental state
"It's outrageous that his father would give him back these guns after he had been court-ordered to surrender the guns. That's just terrible," said District Attorney Glenn Funk in 2022.
Prosecutors and the judge in Illinois agreed during the sentencing hearing for Jeffrey Reinking, saying his decision to return weapons to his troubled son had deadly consequences.
Prosecutors asked for the maximum punishment of three years in prison. Defense attorneys asked for probation.
The judge sentenced Jeffrey Reinking to 18 months behind bars.
This ends criminal prosecutions in the high profile case.
Several civil lawsuits were also filed by the families of the victims.
