Waffle House Suspect's Illinois Family Says They're 'Heartbroken'

PEORIA, IL — The family of accused Waffle House shooter Travis Reinking said they are "heartbroken and devastated at the loss of life and injury," issuing a statement this week through a local attorney. Reinking, 29, is accused of killing four people during a rampage earlier this month: DeEbony Groves, 21; Akilah DaSilva, 23; Taurean C. Sanderlin, 29; and Joe R. Perez, 20.

Reinking's relatives in Morton, Illinois, near Peoria, said in a statement they are praying for "healing and peace" for the victims of their families, according to the Peoria Journal Star.

"In time, and in the due course of understanding all of the facts of this tragedy, the Reinkings anticipate that greater clarity will be revealed about the events leading up to this incident," the statement added.

The family broke its silence more than a week after the shooting, which happened during the early morning hours of Sunday, April 22.

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In an interview with WQAD, Reinking's grandmother, Marilyn Hopper, called her grandson "a sick boy."

"It's not him," she told the station, adding that her heart goes out to the families of the victims. " I’ve lost two children myself and I know what that feels like. ... But you know, we have a side too."

During a press conference in the days after the shooting, ATF Special Agent Marcus Watson said the suspect's father, Morton resident Jeffrey Reinking, could face charges for returning four guns to his son after they were seized by authorities.

The guns were to be taken at the request of the FBI after Travis Reinking was arrested in July 2017 for unlawful entry at the White House. Instead, local deputies turned the weapons over to Jeff Reinking, who had a valid FOID card. Authorities believe Jeff Reinking returned the guns to his son despite telling police he would not. Watson said called Jeffrey Reinking's actions "potentially a violation of federal law."

Photo: Travis Reinking/via Metro Nashville Police Department