Waffle House shooting suspect now in police custody after manhunt

THE 29-year-old suspected gunman wanted in a deadly attack at a Nashville Waffle House has been taken into custody, according to authorities.

The Nashville police said on Monday that they had arrested a suspect in the killing of four people at a Waffle House in Nashville, ending an extensive search which involved approximately 160 law enforcement officials in rain, cold, and conditions which created difficulties in visibility. Police revealed that the FBI, SWAT and K9 teams, state and federal troopers, the Secret Service and numerous FBI resources were all involved in apprehending Reinking.

The suspect was positively identified, carrying a Colorado ID in his wallet. He had a backpack containing a flashlight, a semi-automatic weapon and ammunition.

Lt. Carlos Lara said Reinking “got on the ground” and was arrested without incident.

Reports say that Reinking was apprehended near the woods close to his apartment building. He was discovered through a citizen tip. Police praised the community’s “team effort.”

“Their being vigilant was an important part of what happened today,” said a police spokesperson.

David Briley, the Mayor of Nashvill, also spoke at the press conference following Reinking’s arrest, calling the shooting which claimed the lives of four locals “a tragedy to this community”. He said that while residents will be able to “move on” it was important to remember and to “help the families who lost their loved ones and who are still suffering.”

SHOOTER THOUGHT HE WAS BEING STALKED BY TAYLOR SWIFT
Reinking had a recent history of mental instability. He thought he was being stalked by Taylor Swift, who he said had hacked his Netflix account and wanted to meet him at a Dairy Queen, according to reports.

The disturbing accounts emerged in police reports as Travis Reinking remained on the lam after allegedly killing four people and injuring four others in his AR-15 attack on Sunday at the Antioch, Tennessee eatery, the New York Post reports.

Authorities in Illinois, where the suspect is from, said they had been in contact with him on several occasions, including on May 27, 2016, when they responded to a CVS parking lot in Morton, according to NewsChannel 5.

His parents, Judith and Jeff, and his grandmother Marilyn Hopper had told police they were worried about Reinking, who they said had been experiencing delusions since the summer of 2014.

Reinking told authorities that Swift had been harassing him and that she had hacked his phone, in addition to his Netflix account. He said he chased her up a roof after she ran away from him at a Dairy Queen, according to the station.

In June 2017, Reinking threatened someone with an AR-15 while wearing a pink dress, according to police records. After threatening a man, he drove to a public pool and dove in.

He took off the pink attire in the water before a lifeguard told him to get out. When he climbed out, he tried to fight with the lifeguard and exposed his genitalia, according to the reports.

On Sunday, Tazewell County Sheriff Robert Huston said: “There is some evidence there is some mental health issues involved,” NewsChannel 5 reported.

REINKING WAS ON THE RUN FOR 30 HOURS, HAD WEAPONS HISTORY
Meanwhile, it emerged that among the weapons seized by Illinois authorities after Reinking was arrested by the Secret Service last July for being in a restricted area near the White House was the AR-15 assault rifle used in the Waffle House shooting, police said.

On Aug. 24, 2017, Tazewell County sheriff’s deputies took a state-issued firearms card from Reinking. On Sunday, Huston said Reinking volunteered to give up his four weapons, The Tennessean reported.

Reinking’s father — who possessed a valid state firearms authorisation card — was present when deputies came to confiscate the guns, Huston said. The deputies agreed to hand over the guns to the dad after he asked, Huston said.

“He was allowed to do that after he assured deputies he would keep them secure and away from Travis,” Huston said.

Huston and Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson said they believe Reinking’s father gave the guns back to Reinking.

Anderson said he believes that under Illinois law, seized firearms may be returned to someone who has a valid state authorisation.

He said he was not immediately aware of any Tennessee law Reinking would have violated by having guns in Nashville.

Last autumn, Reinking moved to the Nashville area where he worked in the crane and construction trade, but he may have been recently fired, Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said.

Police in the US state of Tennessee swept the Nashville area on Monday searching for Travis Reinking.

The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said Reinking was last seen on Sunday morning near a wooded area behind his apartment complex.

Metro Nashville Public Schools instituted a “lock-out” — meaning no guests or visitors were allowed on school grounds — in the southeastern suburb of Antioch, where the Waffle House restaurant is located.

A picture emerged on Monday of the accused gunman as someone who suffered from delusions and may have held anti-government views.

Reinking was arrested at the White House in July 2017, after entering a restricted area, according to police.

He had demanded to see US president Donald Trump and had declared himself a “sovereign citizen” — a designation used by anti-government extremists, according to The Tennessean newspaper.

After the White House incident, police rescinded Reinking’s firearms authorisation in the Midwestern state of Illinois, where he lived at the time.

They seized his four weapons, including the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle used in the Tennessee shooting, and handed them to his father.

Police said the father later returned the firearms to his son, one of which remained unaccounted for on Monday.