The father of the Waffle House shooter who killed four people could now be facing charges for returning the confiscated weapons back to his son:
BREAKING: Federal agent: Waffle House shooting suspect's father "could potentially" face charges for giving weapons back to son.
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 23, 2018
The father actually admitted to police he returned the weapons confiscated by police to his son, after promising to keep them secured and away from his son:
Suspect in the deadly Waffle House shooting had previously had his firearms authorization revoked and 4 weapons were seized, including the AR-15 rifle used in the shooting; guns were returned by authorities to his father, who acknowledged he gave them back to him son, police say pic.twitter.com/GB7vm1xutc
— NBC News (@NBCNews) April 22, 2018
Here’s more from the Tennessean:
In July 2017, the U.S. Secret Service arrested Reinking for being in a “restricted area” near the White House, according to the Secret Service.
“He wanted to set up a meeting with the president,” said Secret Service representative Todd Hudson.
After the arrest, his Illinois firearms authorization was revoked and local Illinois authorities seized four weapons.
“Among the weapons seized by those authorities was the AR-15 rifle used at the Waffle House today,” said Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron at a Sunday afternoon news conference.
On Aug. 24, 2017, sheriffs deputies in Tazewell County, Illinois took a state-issued card from Reinking that Illinois requires for someone to own a weapon. During a Sunday news conference streamed online, Tazewell County Sheriff Robert M. Huston said Reinking volunteered to give up his four weapons.
However, Reinking’s father was present when those deputies came to confiscate the guns, Huston said. The father had a valid state authorization card and asked the police if he could keep the weapons. Deputies gave Reinking’s father the weapons, Huston said.
“He was allowed to do that after he assured deputies he would keep them secure and away from Travis,” Huston said, referring to Reinking’s father.
Huston and Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson said they believe Reinking’s father returned the weapons to Reinking.
Anderson said he believes under Illinois law, guns seized can be returned to someone who has a valid state authorization.
Anderson said he was not immediately aware of any Tennessee law Reinking would have violated by possessing guns in Nashville.
This is not the first time Reinking’s father returned weapons to his son after concerns about Reinking’s state of mind.
As Dana Loesch points out, this was incredibly irresponsible of the father:
Unbelievably irresponsible father. Infuriating that he returned a rifle to his son after police stripped said son of arms after son forfeited his rights via willful criminal action. https://t.co/CXM1SQRS14
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) April 23, 2018
I don’t know if the father was coerced into giving these weapons back to his son or if he did it willfully. If it’s the latter, he should definitely face charges, especially after he promised he would not return them to his son.