James Shaw Jr., the hero that ambushed and disarmed the shooter that killed four people on Sunday at a Waffle House in Tennessee, has raised more than $165,000 for the victims (at the time this story was published).
Shaw, 29, created the GoFundMe fundraiser just hours after the incident, and it has raised over 11 times his initial ask of $15,000.
“There are four families that are grieving right now. So much life was lost for no reason. I feel like it could be very selfish of me if I didn’t point it out. And I apologize,” he said.
Shaw has been praised for wrestling the “assault-type weapon” away from the shooter, Travis Reinking, after he entered the Nashville restaurant and began firing his gun. During an opportune moment as the shooter paused, Shaw took action.
“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 gunman to leave,” Metro Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said.
By the time Shaw had taken the gun from Reinking, the suspect had fatally shot four people and injured several others.
“I figured if I was going to die, he was going to have to work for it,” Shaw told reporters Sunday.
Reinking was caught in a wooded area Monday less than a mile and a half from the Waffle House. He has since been charged with four counts of criminal homicide, four counts of attempted murder and one count of unlawful gun possession in the commission of a violent felony, according to News Chanel 5 Network.
His $2 million bond was eventually revoked after an outcry from the community.
The names of the four who were killed have also been released. The families of DeEbony Groves, Akilah DaSilva, Joe R. Perez, and Taurean C. Sanderlin are currently grieving the tragic loss.
Despite Shaw’s actions, he explained to reporters that he didn’t consider himself a hero: “I did that completely out of a selfish act. I was completely doing it just to save myself. I don’t want people to think that I was the Terminator or Superman or anybody like that.”