James Shaw Jr., the hero that ambushed and disarmed the shooter that killed four people last week at a Waffle House in Tennessee, and raised thousands of dollars for the victims, was recognized for his bravery by the Tennessee General Assembly on Tuesday.
Shaw, 29, 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.
He also created the GoFundMe fundraiser just hours after the incident that has raised almost $200,000 a week later.
“No matter his motivations, Mr. Shaw is indeed a hero; his actions on that fateful morning are unfathomable to most, indescribable by even the chief of police, and very poignant to the citizens of Nashville, who are deeply grateful for his brave actions in the face of extreme adversity that saved many lives,” a joint resolution by the state’s lawmakers said.
Shaw met many of them on Tuesday, a day in which the lawmakers celebrated him with a standing ovation.
“If a hero is ‘a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character,’ then James Shaw, Jr. is a hero twice over, for he has demonstrated both his courage and character in a manner few could ever attempt to emulate,” said State Rep. Brenda Gilmore according to the Tennessean.
Reinking was caught in a wooded area last 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 Channel 5 Network.
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.”