President Donald Trump finally found the time on Monday to personally call the man who wrestled a gun away from a shooter at a Tennessee Waffle House last year.
Trump had a phone call with James Shaw Jr. on Monday morning, weeks after Shaw was able to ambush and disarm Travis Reinking. Reinking killed four people at the restaurant chain.
Shaw was also able to raise over $240,000 for the victims with a GoFundMe fundraiser
According to the White House, Trump called Shaw to “commend his heroic actions and quick thinking.”
“Mr. Shaw saved lives when he wrestled a gun from an active shooter who had opened fire,” White House principal deputy press secretary Raj Shah said during a daily press briefing.
Shaw previously told CNN it wasn’t his place to “judge” why Trump hadn’t successfully contacted him sooner.
“I know [the president] has a busy agenda, a busy schedule,” he said.
Despite his actions, Shaw 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.”
He has been recognized for his bravery by the Tennessee General Assembly and his alma mater Tennessee State University.
The university announced recently that they would create a scholarship in his name.