By Sophie Saint Firmin, News Editor
Early Sunday morning, a man wearing nothing but a green jacket opened fire in a Waffle House in Nashville, killing four people.
The suspect was caught on Monday afternoon, ending an overnight manhunt with the combined efforts of more than 80 Nashville police officers, FBI agents, ATF agents and Tennessee Highway patrol agents. Suspect Travis Reinking was caught in a wooded area less than a mile and a half from the Waffle House. Authorities said Reinking was “armed and dangerous” and had a handgun in his backpack at the time of the arrest.
Police and several customers praised another customer for preventing more casualties, according to the New York Times. James Shaw Jr., 29-year-old Nashville resident, fought the gunman and snatched his AR-15 rifle.
According to TIME, Shaw said the act was “selfish” and purely for self-preservation; however, his efforts helped save many. Shaw entered the restaurant just minutes before the gunman, according to CBSNews. Initially he thought he had heard the sounds of plates falling to the ground but soon realized they were gunshots.
According to CBSNews the gunman shot through the window and the bullet grazed Shaw’s arm. At that point, Shaw knew he had to take matters into his own hands.
“When the gun jammed or whatever happened, I hit him with the swivel door,” he said. Shaw then proceeded to take the gun, throw it over the counter and take the assailant out of the restaurant, according to The Chicago Tribune.
At a press conference with Nashville’s mayor and law enforcement officials, the CEO of Waffle House, Walter Ehmer, thanked Shaw for his bravery according to TIME: “You don’t get to meet too many heroes in life. We are forever in your debt.”
