Waffle House Shooting Suspect's Father Could Face Federal Charges

ANTIOCH, TN — Metro Nashville Police Department officials said Waffle House shooting suspect Travis Reinking is in custody on murder charges after being apprehended "in a wooded area" on Monday afternoon. At the time of his arrest, Reinking reportedly had a gun in his backpack. During a press conference, federal authorities also said his father, Jeffrey Reinking, could face charges for returning weapons to his son after his son's Illinois FOID card was revoked.

Just after 1 p.m. Monday, police said on Twitter that Reinking was taken into custody "moments ago." Reinking, 29, is accused of opening fire with an AR-15 at a Nashville-area restaurant just after 3 a.m. Sunday, killing four people and wounding several others. He is a native of Morton, Illinois, near Peoria.

Less than a year ago, Reinking was arrested for unlawful entry at the White House after demanding a meeting with President Donald Trump. He had a history of run-ins with police in Illinois and last year had his guns taken from him and turned over to his father. After the White House incident, Reinking's FOID card was also revoked by Illinois State Police.

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Police in Illinois and Tennessee say they believe his father returned four guns to him prior to the quadruple murder. The weapons returned to Reinking include the AR-15 used in the massacre, authorities said.

During a press conference on Monday afternoon, ATF Special Agent Marcus Watson said Jeffrey Reinking, also of Morton, could face charges for returning the four guns to his son, calling his actions "potentially a violation of federal law."

Police said Reinking was naked except for a green jacket when he opened fire, but dropped the jacket before fleeing the Waffle House early Sunday.

On Monday, police said the wooded area where Reinking had been found had been the subject of aerial and K-9 searches Sunday and ground searches earlier in the day. Police said Reinking's movements since the shooting are unknown, adding he has refused to give a statement to detectives.

At a press conference, police said Reinking was taken into custody in the area of 5000 Mountain Spring Drive in Antioch by narcotics detectives after a tip from citizens. Police said he had a loaded .45 caliber handgun in his backpack and requested a lawyer immediately after his arrest.

About an hour before announcing Reinking's arrest, Metro Nashville police shared a photo of a laptop bag found by a citizen not far from where the suspect was apprehended. The bag was empty except for a handwritten ID card bearing Reinking's name, police said.

Check back with Patch for updates on this developing story.

Image via Metro Nashville Police Department