Lawsuit filed against gunman’s dad in Waffle House shooting

PEKIN, Ill. – The family of one of the four people killed in a shooting at a Waffle House restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee, is suing the suspected gunman’s father, accusing the Illinois man of negligence.

The (Peoria) Journal Star reports that the family of victim Joe Perez filed a lawsuit Monday in Tazewell County, Illinois, the home of Jeffrey Reinking. Reinking’s son, Travis Reinking, also lived there before moving to Nashville.

Police say Travis Reinking had displayed signs of mental illness before his Illinois gun card was revoked last summer. His guns were transferred to his father, but police say the father returned them to his son at some point.

Investigators say one of the guns, an AR-15, was used in the April 22 attack at a Waffle House.

Through his lawyer, Jeffrey Reinking declined to comment Tuesday.

Travis Reinking is charged with murder.

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This story was corrected earlier to fix the name of the (Peoria) Journal Star, which was incorrectly referred to as the Peoria Star.