{{Short description|2018 mass shooting in Tennessee, U.S.}} {{Use American English|date=December 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}} {{Infobox civilian attack | map = {{Location map|USA Tennessee Nashville # USA Tennessee # USA|label=Shooting location|mark=Red_pog.svg |lat=36.05|long=-86.61|width=250|float=center}} | title = Nashville Waffle House shooting | location = Waffle House<br /> 3571 Murfreesboro Pike, Antioch, Nashville, Tennessee, US | coordinates = {{coord|36|03|02|N|86|36|56|W|type:event_region:US-TN|display=inline,title}} | date = April 22, 2018 | time = 3:25 a.m. | timezone = CDT | type = Mass shooting, mass murder | weapon = Bushmaster XM-15 semi-automatic rifle<!--DO NOT CHANGE THIS WITHOUT A SOURCE THAT DIRECTLY GIVES A DIFFERENT TYPE OF WEAPON--><ref name="NYT422" /><ref name="twhshoot" /><ref name="CNN">{{Cite news |last=Amir Vera |date=April 22, 2018 |title=Waffle House shooter was once arrested by Secret Service for trespassing near White House |publisher=CNN |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/04/22/us/waffle-house-shooter-white-house/index.html |access-date=April 26, 2018}}</ref> | fatalities = 4<ref name="NYT422">{{Cite news |last=Mele |first=Christopher |date=April 22, 2018 |title=Naked Gunman Kills 4 in Nashville Waffle House Shooting, Police Say |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/22/us/waffle-house-shooting.html |access-date=April 22, 2018}}</ref> | injuries = 4 (2 by gunfire)<ref name="NYT422" /> | perpetrator = Travis Jeffrey Reinking<ref name="nbccaptured" /> | dfen = James Shaw Jr. | motive = Schizophrenia<ref name="Schizophrenic episode">{{Cite web |date=April 26, 2022 |title=Report reveals Reinking's motive behind Waffle House shooting |work=WKRN News 2 |url=https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/nashville/report-reveals-reinkings-motive-behind-waffle-house-shooting/}}</ref> | verdict = Guilty on all counts | convictions = *Premeditated first-degree murder (4 counts) *Attempted first-degree murder (6 counts) *Possessing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony (4 counts){{Infobox event | title = | child = yes | sentence = Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole }} }} On April 22, 2018, a mass shooting occurred at a Waffle House restaurant in the Antioch neighborhood<ref name="NYT422" /> of Nashville, Tennessee, United States, when 29-year-old Travis Jeffrey Reinking fatally shot four people and injured two others with an AR-15 style rifle.<ref name="chtrb">{{Cite news |last=Phillips |first=Kristine |date=April 22, 2018 |title=Suspect in Tennessee Waffle House shooting still at large and possibly armed, police say |work=Chicago Tribune |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-waffle-house-shooting-nashville-20180422-story.html |access-date=April 22, 2018}}</ref> Another two people were injured by broken glass.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Frisk |first=Adam |date=April 23, 2018 |title=Waffle House shooting: What we know about Travis Reinking, the Nashville shooting suspect subject of massive manhunt |publisher=Global News |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4161287/waffle-house-shooting-travis-reinking-nashville-suspect/ |access-date=April 24, 2018}}</ref> Reinking was rushed by an unarmed customer, James Shaw Jr., who wrestled the rifle away and stopped the shooting spree. Reinking was captured on April 23, ending a 34-hour manhunt.<ref name="BlinderNYT">{{Cite news |last=Blinder |first=Alan |date=April 23, 2018 |title=Waffle House Shooting: Police Say Suspect Is in Custody |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/23/us/waffle-house-shooting-nashville.html |access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref><ref name="PhillipsBerman">{{Cite news |last1=Phillips |first1=Kristine |last2=Berman |first2=Mark |date=April 23, 2018 |title=Waffle House shooting suspect Travis Reinking arrested, police say |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/04/23/waffle-house-shooting-travis-reinking-manhunt-continues-nashville-police-say/ |access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref><ref name="nbccaptured">{{Cite news |last1=Kalhan Rosenblatt |last2=Daniella Silva |date=April 23, 2017 |title=Waffle House shooting: Suspect in killing of four taken into custody after manhunt |publisher=NBC News |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/waffle-house-shooting-manhunt-underway-suspect-spree-killed-4-n868411 |access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref>
Due to severe schizophrenia, Reinking was initially found incompetent to stand trial and committed to a mental hospital for treatment.<ref name="Tamburin">{{Cite web |last=Tamburin |first=Adam |date=August 22, 2018 |title=Travis Reinking, Waffle House shooting suspect, committed for treatment for schizophrenia |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2018/08/22/waffle-house-shooting-travis-reinking/986217002/ |access-date=April 23, 2023 |website=The Tennessean |language=en-US}}</ref> Later that decision was changed and Reinking was put on trial for four counts of first degree premeditated murder on January 31, 2022. He was convicted of the charges on February 4, 2022.<ref>{{cite book | last = Metzl | first = Jonathan M. | date = January 30, 2024 | title = What We've Become: Living and Dying in a Country of Arms | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=zQjHEAAAQBAJ | location = New York | publisher = W. W. Norton & Company | isbn = 978-1324050254 }}</ref>
== Perpetrator == {{Infobox mass murderer | image = Travis Reinking 2018_mugshot.jpg | caption = 2018 mugshot. | name = Travis Reinking | birth_name = Travis Jeffrey Reinking | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1989|02|01}} | birth_place = Morton, Illinois, U.S. | conviction_penalty = Life imprisonment without parole | conviction_status = Incarcerated | imprisoned = Morgan County Correctional Complex | date = April 22, 2018 | locations = Nashville, Tennessee | country = United States | fatalities = 4 | injuries = 4 (2 by gunfire) | apprehended = April 23, 2018 }}
Travis Reinking was a construction worker<ref name="cnn">{{Cite news |last=Grinberg, Emanuella |date=April 23, 2018 |title=The Waffle House shooting suspect thought Taylor Swift was stalking him and showed other signs of delusion |work=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/22/us/travis-reinking-waffle-house-shooting/index.html |access-date=January 7, 2022}}</ref> from Morton, Illinois, near Peoria.<ref name="cbs422" /> He had a history of erratic conduct, paranoia and delusions, and was particularly obsessed with pop singer Taylor Swift. At one point, he confused his coworkers by saying that he was gay while also claiming that he had plans to marry Taylor Swift. In May 2016, sheriff's deputies in Tazewell County responded to a call from Reinking's parents in the parking lot of a drugstore, where a paramedic said Reinking had delusions that Swift was personally stalking him and hacking his phone and bank accounts. The report noted: "Travis is hostile toward police and does not recognize police authority. Travis also possesses several firearms."<ref name="cnn"/> In 2017, Reinking lived in an apartment above his father's crane rental business in Tremont, Illinois. He worked as a crane operator for another company, but quit his job in March 2017 because he believed police were following him, and that his "last chance" to marry Taylor Swift was soon approaching. In June 2017, an employee of his father's business called police, saying Reinking had come downstairs carrying a rifle, wearing a pink dress, and using an expletive before tossing the rifle in his trunk and leaving the building. On another occasion around the same time, a public pool director called police to report Reinking had come to the pool in a "pink women's housecoat" and then exposed himself to lifeguards.<ref name="cnn" />
In July 2017, the U.S. Secret Service arrested Reinking near the White House after he crossed a barrier and refused to leave. The Secret Service said Reinking had said he "wanted to set up a meeting with the president".<ref name="NYT422" /> The report notes he made reference to being a "sovereign citizen" and thus having the right to "inspect the grounds" at the White House.<ref name="Vera">{{Cite news |last=Vera |first=Amir |date=April 22, 2018 |title=Waffle House shooter was once arrested by Secret Service for trespassing near White House |publisher=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/22/us/waffle-house-shooter-white-house/index.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Bidgood |first=Jess |date=2018-04-23 |title=Nashville Suspect Once Called Himself a 'Sovereign Citizen,' Police Say. What Is That? |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/23/us/sovereign-citizen.html |access-date=2023-05-26 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Reinking was charged with unlawful entry (a misdemeanor) and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement in July 2017, in which Reinking performed 32 hours of community service and was ordered to stay away from the White House. In November 2017, the court dismissed the case after Reinking successfully completed the program.<ref name="Phillips" /><ref name="Vera" />
Following Reinking's arrest, Illinois authorities revoked his state firearms authorization and seized four of his weapons (including the AR-15<!--DO NOT CHANGE THIS WITHOUT A SOURCE THAT DIRECTLY GIVES A DIFFERENT TYPE OF WEAPON--> used in the Nashville shooting, two other rifles (a .30-06 Remington Model 710 & a .22-caliber CZ 452-2EZKM), and a handgun).<ref name="BlinderNYT" /><ref name="PrevArrest">{{Cite news |last=Boucher, Dave |date=April 22, 2018 |title=Waffle House shooting: Suspect Travis Reinking previously arrested outside White House |work=USA Today |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2018/04/22/travis-reinking-nashville-waffle-house-shooting-suspect/540144002/ |access-date=April 22, 2018}}</ref> According to the sheriff of Tazewell County, Illinois, Reinking's father, Jeffrey Reinking, who held a valid state authorization card, asked sheriff's deputies if he could keep the guns, and they allowed him to do so after he assured them "he would keep them secure and away from" his son.<ref name="PrevArrest" /> Reinking's father admitted later that he had reluctantly returned the guns to his son sometime before the shooting when Reinking requested him to do so.<ref name="PrevArrest" />
According to a spokesman for the Nashville police, Reinking moved to the Nashville area in the autumn of 2017 and was employed as a crane and construction worker from January 2018 until April 2018. He was fired on April 3, 2018, for claiming that people, including other employees, were "after him".<ref name="PrevArrest" /> According to police, four days before the Waffle House shooting, Reinking stole a BMW X6<ref name="BMW X6">{{Cite news |last=Majoica |first=Adrian |date=April 24, 2018 |title=Tennessee Waffle House shooter believed to have stolen BMW from dealer days before |publisher=WTVC |url=http://newschannel9.com/news/local/tennessee-waffle-house-shooter-believed-to-have-stolen-bmw-from-dealer-days-before |access-date=April 24, 2018}}</ref> from a Brentwood, Tennessee, dealership; police used the vehicle's built-in GPS to track the car to Reinking's apartment complex and located the keyfob in his apartment.<ref name="PhillipsBerman" />
== Shooting == Reinking was partially naked when the shooting occurred, wearing only a green jacket. After sitting in a pickup truck in the parking lot for approximately four minutes, he came out holding an AR-15-style rifle<ref name="NYT422" /><ref name="twhshoot">{{Cite web |last1=Holly Yan |last2=Artemis Moshtaghian |last3=Darran Simon |date=April 22, 2018 |title=Tennessee Waffle House shooting suspect may be armed, police say |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/22/us/tennessee-waffle-house-shooting/index.html |access-date=April 23, 2018 |publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref name="suspectwhs">{{Cite news |last=Phillips |first=Kristine |date=April 23, 2018 |title=Suspect in Tennessee Waffle House shooting had guns seized after arrest near White House last year |work=Chicago Tribune |agency=The Washington Post |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-waffle-house-shooting-nashville-20180422-story.html |access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref> and fatally shot two people outside the Waffle House. He went inside the restaurant and continued to fire, killing a third person and fatally injuring a fourth, who died at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center,<ref name="theguardiannashvillewafflehouseshooting">{{Cite news |date=April 23, 2018 |title=Nashville Waffle House shooting: four dead after gunman flees in nude |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/apr/22/nashville-waffle-house-shooting-three-dead-four-injured |access-date=April 22, 2018}}</ref> with four others treated for related injuries. One customer, 29-year-old James Shaw Jr., who suffered a bullet graze wound to his elbow,<ref name="tennessean29yearoldhero">{{Cite news |last=Gonzales |first=Jason |date=April 22, 2018 |title=The 29-year-old hero from Waffle House shooting: 'I saw the opportunity and I took it' |work=The Tennessean |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2018/04/22/waffle-house-shooting-hero-stopped-shooter/540061002/ |access-date=April 22, 2018}}</ref> hid near the restaurant's bathrooms. When Shaw saw Reinking point the rifle down, either to reload or fix a jam, he lunged at the gunman and wrestled the weapon away from him before tossing it over the counter, sustaining second-degree burns from grabbing the hot rifle barrel. After the two briefly scuffled, Reinking fled on foot, totally nude after having abandoned his jacket.<ref name="NYT422" /><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Yan |first1=Holly |last2=Moshtaghian |first2=Artemis |last3=Simon |first3=Darran |date=April 22, 2018 |title=4 killed at Tennessee Waffle House as police search for seminude suspect |publisher=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/22/us/tennessee-waffle-house-shooting/index.html}}</ref><ref name="suspectwhs" /><ref name="cbs422">{{Cite news |last=Bey |first=Justin |date=April 22, 2018 |title=Waffle House shooting leaves 4 dead, several wounded in Tennessee |work=CBC News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/waffle-house-shooting-tennessee-today-live-updates-2018-04-22/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Blinder |first1=Alan |title='I Just Wanted to Live,' Says Man Who Wrested Rifle From Waffle House Gunman |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/23/us/waffle-house-hero-james-shaw.html |access-date=5 February 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=23 April 2018}}</ref>
Four people were killed in the attack: Joe Perez Jr., 20, Taurean Sanderlin, 29, Akilah Dasilva, 23, and DeEbony Groves, 21.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sutton |first=Caroline |date=2022-02-05 |title=Family members of Waffle House shooting victims share stories of grief, loss |url=https://www.newschannel5.com/news/family-members-of-waffle-house-shooting-victims-share-stories-of-grief-loss |access-date=2026-01-26 |website=News Channel 5 Nashville (WTVF) |language=en}}</ref>
Reinking committed the attack after becoming convinced that the people inside the Waffle House restaurant were Central Intelligence Agency agents.<ref name="Schizophrenic episode" /> He discharged his rifle a total of 30 times during the attack, consisting of 15 shots outside and 15 shots inside; and his jacket contained 60 rounds of live ammunition that had not been used.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Timms |first=Natalie Neysa Alund and Mariah |title=Waffle House trial day 1: Opening statements, first witnesses called in Travis Reinking's murder case |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2022/01/31/waffle-house-trial-opening-statements-slated-begin-travis-reinkings-mass-murder-trial/9283177002/ |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=The Tennessean |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Arrest == Reinking went missing, leaving no notes behind.<ref name="wwmt">{{Cite news |last=Mojica |first=Adrian |date=April 22, 2018 |title=Tennessee Waffle House hero speaks, shooter could still be armed |publisher=WWMT |url=http://wwmt.com/news/nation-world/tennessee-waffle-house-hero-speaks-shooter-could-still-be-armed |access-date=April 22, 2018}}</ref> A manhunt for him ensued, with police warning the public that he was potentially armed with two other weapons.<ref name="cbs422" /><ref name="Phillips">{{Cite news |last=Phillips |first=Kristine |date=April 22, 2018 |title=Manhunt underway after shooter wielding rifle kills four at Tenn. Waffle House, police say |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/04/22/at-least-3-dead-several-wounded-in-waffle-house-shooting-near-nashville-police-say/}}</ref> The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation added him to its "most wanted" list and offered a reward for information leading to his arrest.<ref name="TBI" /> Reinking was captured the next day, about 34 hours after the shooting, after a construction worker reported him entering a wooded area close to the Waffle House. Police said Reinking was carrying a backpack with a .45-caliber Kimber 1911 handgun and ammunition.<ref name="PhillipsBerman" /><ref name="TBI">{{Cite web |date=April 22, 2018 |title=Wanted: Travis J. Reinking, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation |url=https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tbi/documents/most-wanted/USTN_REINKINGMETRONASHVILLEPD.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180422225150/https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tbi/documents/most-wanted/USTN_REINKINGMETRONASHVILLEPD.pdf |archive-date=April 22, 2018}}</ref>
== Legal proceedings == Reinking was charged with four counts of criminal homicide, four counts of attempted homicide, and one count of having a firearm while committing a dangerous felony.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tamburin |first=Adam |date=24 April 2018 |title=Waffle House shooting suspect Travis Reinking's $2 million bond revoked; new charges added |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2018/04/24/waffle-house-shooting-suspect-travis-reinking-2-million-bond-revoked/545609002/ |access-date=April 23, 2023 |website=The Tennessean |language=en-US}}</ref> Forensic psychologists who examined Reinking determined that he suffered from severe schizophrenia, and in August 2018 a judge found Reinking incompetent to stand trial and ordered him committed to a mental hospital for treatment.<ref name="Tamburin" /> However, in October 2018 he was found competent to stand trial again.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tamburin |first=Adam |date=8 January 2020 |title=Prosecutors won't seek death penalty for Waffle House shooting suspect Travis Reinking |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2020/01/08/travis-reinking-suspect-waffle-house-shooting-wont-get-death-penalty/2609115001/ |website=The Tennessean}}</ref> In a January 2020 court appearance, prosecutors announced that they would not seek the death penalty against Reinking. He then faced up to life without parole.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lowrey |first=Lauren |date=January 15, 2020 |title=Waffle House shooting survivor reacts to DA's decision of 'life in prison' |url=https://www.wbir.com/article/news/crime/waffle-house-shooting-survivor-reacts-to-das-decision-of-life-in-prison/51-fa55ddfa-1a1c-49d8-a1d2-a42ccbae1761 |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=wbir.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
The trial was scheduled for early 2022. The shooter pled not guilty to 16 counts of murder and assault with a deadly weapon. On the day of the trial, the shooter changed his plea from not guilty to not guilty by reason of insanity.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Loller |first=Travis |date=January 31, 2022 |title=Attorney: Waffle House shooter believed God commanded him |url=https://apnews.com/article/shootings-nashville-travis-reinking-8a6d24d3fcb1d72adf35bf3e838a9849 |access-date=June 17, 2022 |website=AP NEWS}}</ref>
The trial started with jury selection on January 25, 2022. The opening arguments were heard on January 31. Reinking was found guilty on all counts on February 4, 2022, including four counts of premeditated first degree murder. The defense was unsuccessful on their plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. The jury deliberated for nearly five hours before delivering the verdicts.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Loller |first=Travis |date=February 4, 2022 |title=Waffle House shooter found guilty on 4 counts of murder |url=https://apnews.com/article/shootings-tennessee-nashville-james-shaw-jr-travis-reinking-e431e11a2bd977f21f5a82b9c551045e |access-date=February 5, 2022 |website=AP NEWS |publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Timms |first=Mariah |date=4 February 2022 |title=Waffle House shooting trial: Travis Reinking guilty on all counts |url=https://eu.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2022/02/04/waffle-house-shooting-trial-travis-reinking-guilty-all-counts/6652481001/ |access-date=February 5, 2022 |website=The Tennessean |publisher=}}</ref> The following day, Reinking was sentenced to life in prison without parole.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mattise |first=Jonathan |date=February 6, 2022 |title=Waffle House shooter receives life in prison without parole |work=Associated Press |url=https://apnews.com/article/nashville-travis-reinking-6839ec09d4c4a743bc5c31c54b918290 |access-date=February 5, 2022}}</ref>
Jeffrey Reinking was later charged with "unlawful delivery of a firearm" for returning the weapons to his son.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tamburin, Adam |date=March 14, 2019 |title=Father of Waffle House shooting suspect Travis Reinking charged with gun crime |work=Tennessean |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2019/03/14/travis-reinking-father-jeffrey-waffle-house-shooting/3016158002/ |access-date=July 24, 2019}}</ref> He was found guilty in May 2022, and sentenced to 18 months in prison.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 19, 2022 |title=Illinois man convicted of giving son rifle he used to kill 4 at a Waffle House in Tennessee |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-illinois-father-tennessee-waffle-house-shooting-20220519-dn7foihvqbh4tada7w4rpvv5bm-story.html |access-date=June 17, 2022 |website=Chicago Tribune |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>
== Aftermath == Shortly after the shooting, Nashville Mayor David Briley said, "It's a tragic day for our city anytime people lose their lives at the hands of a gunman."<ref name="nashscenefourkillednadtwo">{{Cite news |last=Rodgers |first=D. Patrick |date=April 22, 2018 |title=Four Killed and Two Wounded in Shooting at Antioch Waffle House |work=Nashville Scene |url=https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/pith-in-the-wind/article/21001851/four-killed-and-two-wounded-in-shooting-at-antioch-waffle-house |access-date=April 22, 2018}}</ref> Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam said he was "deeply saddened by the tragic incident in Antioch early this morning, and we mourn the lives taken in this senseless act of violence".<ref name="theguardiannashvillewafflehouseshooting" /> Congressman Jim Cooper called for restricting "widespread civilian access to military-grade assault weapons".<ref name="nashscenefourkillednadtwo" /><ref name="cbsnewscongressmancallsfor">{{Cite news |date=April 22, 2018 |title=Congressman calls for gun control in wake of Waffle House shooting |publisher=CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/waffle-house-shooting-congressman-jim-cooper-calls-for-gun-control/ |access-date=April 22, 2018}}</ref>
Mayor Briley attended church with Shaw on April 22.<ref name="tennessean29yearoldhero" />
While Shaw was described as a hero by numerous people, including Tennessee authorities, he said that he does not think of himself in those terms:<ref name=twsNPR111/><ref name="twsBBC1">{{cite news | date= 23 April 2018| work= BBC| url= https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43862504| title= Nashville Waffle House: James Shaw denies heroism| access-date= May 13, 2018| quote= "... He then hid in the restaurant's toilet area but the gunman shot through the door, injuring his arm. ... A customer who wrestled a gun from a naked attacker who killed four people at a Waffle House in Nashville, Tennessee on Sunday has described his deed as a 'selfish act'"}}</ref> {{quote|I did that completely out of a selfish act. I was completely doing it just to save myself. Now, me doing that, I did save other people.|James Shaw Jr., April 23, 2018<ref name=twsNPR111>{{cite news|work=NPR|last=Chappell|first=Bill|date=April 23, 2018|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/23/604879633/im-not-a-hero-says-james-shaw-jr-acclaimed-hero-of-waffle-house-attack|title='I'm Not A Hero,' Says James Shaw Jr., Acclaimed As Hero Of Waffle House Attack|access-date=May 13, 2018|quote="... many others are calling him a hero for stopping the violence. ... Shaw, 29, is the father of a young girl and lives in Nashville, according to his Facebook page. He attended Tennessee State University and works as a technician for AT&T. ... "}}</ref>}}
By May 7, Shaw had raised $227,000 via GoFundMe for a fund to help the shooting victims. That day, Tennessee State University, Shaw's Alma Mater, set up a scholarship in his name.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stevens |first=Matt |date=May 7, 2018 |title=Man Who Wrested Rifle From Waffle House Gunman Raises $227,000 for Victims |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/07/us/waffle-house-hero-victims.html |access-date=May 11, 2018}}</ref><ref name="twsKFOR111">{{Cite news |last=Nadia Judith Enchassi |date=April 30, 2018 |title=Waffle House shooting hero James Shaw Jr. raises more than $200K for victims |publisher=KFOR |agency=CNN Wire |url=http://kfor.com/2018/04/30/waffle-house-shooting-hero-james-shaw-jr-raises-more-than-200k-for-victims/ |access-date=May 13, 2018 |quote=...The GoFundMe campaign, by Thursday afternoon, had raked in just under $165,000 – 11 times its goal – since the attack last Sunday left four people dead. That number is now over $212,000.... |archive-date=May 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180514065048/http://kfor.com/2018/04/30/waffle-house-shooting-hero-james-shaw-jr-raises-more-than-200k-for-victims/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Tennessee lawmakers passed a joint resolution honoring Shaw's actions.<ref name="twsCNN222">{{cite news| last= McLaughlin |first=Eliott C. | date= April 24, 2018| work= CNN| url= https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/24/us/waffle-house-james-shaw-tennessee-resolution/index.html| title= For Waffle House bravery, lawmakers hail James Shaw Jr. as 'Tennessee's hero'| access-date= May 13, 2018| quote= ... Shaw, of course, returned to the dining area, where he wrested a rifle away from the gunman and tossed it over the counter before shoving the shooter out the door early Sunday. ... }}</ref> Shaw was interviewed on several media, notably ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' where he met his idol, NBA basketball star Dwyane Wade.<ref name="twsCNN333">{{cite news |last= Jackson |first= Amanda |date= May 2, 2018 |website= CNN| url= https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/02/us/james-shaw-jr-waffle-house-hero-ellen-trnd/index.html |title= Waffle House hero James Shaw Jr. meets his idol, Dwyane Wade, on 'Ellen'| access-date= May 13, 2018| quote= ... James Shaw Jr., the man who grabbed a gun from the Waffle House shooter last month, appeared on "The Ellen Show" today and met his idol, Dwyane Wade. ... }}</ref> In May 2018, Shaw met with X González, who survived the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and anti-gun activist who helped to found Never Again MSD. Together, along with survivors and activists David Hogg, Alex Wind, and Jaclyn Corin among others, the whole group united for a special brunch at a local Denny's in suburban Nashville. <ref name="twsNYDailyNews11">{{cite news|last=Cullen|first=Terence|date=May 13, 2018|work=New York Daily News|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/waffle-house-hero-james-shaw-jr-meets-parkland-survivors-article-1.3987355|title=Waffle House hero James Shaw Jr. meets with Parkland shooting survivors|access-date=May 13, 2018|quote="... The 29-year-old Nashville resident posted a photo of himself in Florida with several students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 people were killed in a Feb. 14 mass shooting ... Shaw posted a photo of himself with Gonzalez on Saturday, saying he "met one of my heros today."}}</ref> Tennessee State University set up a scholarship fund in his name.<ref name="twsCNN1">{{cite news | last=Murphy |first=Paul P. | date= May 8, 2018| work= CNN| url= https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/08/us/waffle-house-hero-james-shaw-jr-gofundme-trnd/index.html| title= The hero who stopped the Waffle House shooting has raised more than $230,000 for its victims' families| access-date= May 13, 2018| quote= ... Shaw's alma mater, Tennessee State University, is setting up a scholarship fund in his name. Tennessee lawmakers also passed a joint resolution hailing Shaw's courageous actions. ... }}</ref><ref>[https://epay.tnstate.edu/C20204_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=415&SINGLESTORE=true Scholarship fund webpage]</ref> The following month, at the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards, after Chadwick Boseman won an award for "Best Hero" for his work in ''Black Panther'', but made a statement saying "Receiving an award for playing a superhero is amazing, but it's even greater to acknowledge the heroes that we have in real life" before called Shaw up to the stage and gave him the award saying "This is gonna live at your house".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/video/chadwick-boseman-acknowledges-waffle-house-shooting-hero-james-shaw-jr-mtv-movie-tv-awards-2018-1121187|title=Chadwick Boseman Acknowledges Waffle House Shooting Hero James Shaw Jr. {{!}} MTV Movie & TV Awards 2018|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=2018-06-19|language=en}}</ref> Shaw was presented a Gold Vail Award by Randall L. Stephenson, the Chief Executive Officer of AT&T.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/business/business/2018/07/23/att-honors-employees-helped-othersduring-waffle-house-las-vegas-shootings|title=AT&T honors employees who helped others during Waffle House and Las Vegas shootings|last=Quigley|first=Aidan|date=2018-07-23|work=Dallas News|access-date=2018-08-13|language=en}}</ref> In 2018, he received a BET Humanitarian Award.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2018/06/22/james-shaw-jr-bet-humanitarian-hero-antioch-tn-waffle-house-shooting/725198002/|title=James Shaw Jr. named BET Humanitarian Hero|last=Thanki|first=Juli|date=2018-06-22|work=The Tennessean|access-date=2018-08-13|language=en}}</ref>
The families of two victims filed civil actions against Travis Reinking and his family.<ref name="Tamburin" />
== See also == * Burnette Chapel shooting * 2020 Nashville bombing
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV2MZeO4Wfs Full press conference given after the shooting] (video, 67 min.), 2018 April 22, Nashville Police Department.
{{Mass shootings in the United States in the 2010s}}
Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in Tennessee Category:2010s crimes in Tennessee Category:2018 mass shootings in the United States Category:April 2018 crimes in the United States Category:2018 murders in the United States Category:Attacks on restaurants in the United States Category:Deaths by firearm in Tennessee Category:2018 in Nashville, Tennessee Category:Incidents involving the sovereign citizen movement Category:Mass shootings in Tennessee Category:2010s mass murders in the United States Category:Waffle House Category:Mass shootings involving AR-15–style rifles Category:2018 mass murders Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in 2018 Category:People murdered in Nashville, Tennessee Category:Crime in Nashville, Tennessee