This 29-year-old is being hailed a hero after he “rushed” the gunman in the Waffle House shooting
Police are still searching for the suspect who opened fire in a Waffle House shooting early Sunday morning in a suburb of Nashville, Tennessee. But according to recent reports, the shooting that left four people dead and several injured could’ve been a lot worse. One 29-year-old man is being called a hero after he tackled the shooter when he stopped to reload his weapon, and we applaud his bravery in an unimaginable situation.
“I don’t really know, when everyone said that (of being a hero), it feels selfish,” Waffle House shooting hero James Shaw Jr. said in an interview with The Tennessean. “I was just trying to get myself out. I saw the opportunity and pretty much took it.”
According to Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron, Shaw noticed the gunman looking at his rifle between shots and quickly decided to intervene.
"He decided to rush the gunman, actually wrestled the assault rifle away, tossed it over the counter. At that point, the gunman then fled," Aaron said in a statement. "He is the hero here, and no doubt he saved many lives by wrestling the gun away and then tossing it over the counter and prompting the (gun)man to leave."
James Shaw Jr. said he saw his moment when suspected gunman Travis Reinking stopped to reload during the Waffle House shooting.
"When he came in, I distinctively remember thinking that he is going to have to work for this kill," Shaw said. "I had a chance to stop him and thankfully I stopped him. I grabbed the gun and kept it down. He had one hand on it. I pulled it away and threw it over the bar."
According to Shaw, he’d arrived at the Waffle House only minutes before the shooter walked in. He and his friends had been at a fraternity house party, and after visiting another local Waffle House that was too busy, they drove to the other location where the shooting occurred.
https://twitter.com/udfredirect/status/988101790481690624
Reinking is still at large. Police are asking Nashville-area residents to stay vigilant as they continue their search.
“Keep your doors locked, keep your eyes open,” Aaron told reporters. “If you see this individual — if you see a nude guy walking around this morning — call the police department immediately.”
Waffle House: 6 persons shot, 4 fatally (3 died at the scene, 1 at the hospital). The 2 others are being treated at Vanderbilt. Search continuing for Travis Reinking. pic.twitter.com/ioR7cVq899
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) April 22, 2018
Our hearts are with everyone involved in this tragic shooting. And to the young man who stopped the shooter, you’re definitely a hero to us. Thank you for stepping up and for saving lives!
