The father should be arrested too, and should be prosecuted and put in prison, for giving back the guns to his mentally disturbed son after getting the guns back on the condition that he wouldn’t give them to the mentally ill son.
Recall that Adam Lanza’s mother thought she had secured the guns from her son, locked in a gun safe she thought he couldn’t open. That’s different from the Waffle House killer’s dad, who admits he handed the AR15 back to his mentally ill son.
Shaw is a good man who was (1) able to think clearly in an emergency and (2) brave enough to take on the gunman and save his own and many other lives. It’s a wonderful story and everyone wants to read and hear about him, but I saw his Today Show interview and he seemed to be feeling the effects of the traumatic experience. I wish we would leave these people alone and just provide support, the support he’s asked for. Like others in his situation, he is uncomfortable with being in the spotlight as a hero (which, of course, he is, despite his denial). Given that he has had this unwanted exposure I hope that something good comes out of it.
Cardinal Fang, some jurisdiction issues may complicate an attempt by the authorities to hold the father accountable. The Washington Post story says the law in Illinois permits police to hand over confiscated guns to a properly permitted person, and Reinking’s father was such a person. Well, the shooting and murders occurred in Tennessee, where heretofore Travis Reinking violated no law. I don’t know if a Tennessee criminal court can prosecute Reinking senior.
The Illinois police gave the father the guns on the condition that he not give them to his son. He gave them to his son. Why can Illinois not prosecute?
Bond has been revoked.
Father may have violated law in Illinois regarding transfer, but the murders were committed in Tennessee, so father is off the hook regarding punishments imposed by State of Tennessee. Possibly there could be a ‘Conflict of Laws’ interpretation and ruling in a Tennessee court if Tennessee prosecutors sought to bring the father to trial. Federal prosecution is a different story, I imagine.
Has there been an article that quotes the father and his rationale for doing something that would appear to be so incredibly negligent?
James Shaw’s daughter is such a cutie!!
It seems a no-brainer that if a court orders that someone’s guns be temporarily confiscated, the court should hold those guns in the meantime. No way they should be given to any family member or friend.