Just before the Metro Nashville Police confirmed the arrest of suspected Waffle House shooter Travis Reinking, authorities revealed that Reinking had led police on a car chase in a stolen BMW just days earlier.
Reinking had reportedly stolen the BMW from a lot on Tuesday, leading police on a chase before disappearing into rush-hour traffic. Police eventually gave up the chase, but the vehicle was able to be tracked using GPS.
The car was later found at Reinking’s Antioch apartment complex, but since he had never given the dealership his name, they were unable to connect him to the incident until after the shooting.
Tuesday’s car chase wasn’t Reinking’s first brush with the law, either. In July 2017, he was detained by the United States Secret Service for trespassing in a restricted area near the White House. The FBI and local authorities followed up, and four firearms were taken from Reinking but were later turned over to his father. His father acknowledged on Sunday that, despite promising law enforcement that he would not, he returned the firearms to his son. One of those firearms was the AR-15 Reinking used on Sunday morning to kill four people.
The Metro Nashville Police Department announced on Monday morning that Reinking had been apprehended in a wooded area off Old Hickory Blvd.
BREAKING: Travis Reinking apprehended moments ago in a wooded area near Old Hickory Blvd & Hobson Pk. pic.twitter.com/00ukga37s6
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) April 23, 2018