Waffle House in Tennessee will donate 100 percent of proceeds for month to victims' families
The Waffle House in Tennessee where four people were killed and four others wounded in a shooting will donate 100 percent of its proceeds over the next month to the families of the victims, its management announced Wednesday.
The restaurant had been closed since Sunday, when police say a 29-year-old gunman, Travis Reinking, opened fire with an AR-15 rifle outside before storming the popular 24-hour diner in Antioch. Inside, James Shaw Jr., a patron, was able to snatch the weapon away from Reinking, who fled the scene on foot. He was captured in the woods near his apartment after a 30-hour manhunt and taken into custody.
Slideshow: Waffle House shooting in Nashville – Suspect in custody >>>
Reinking was charged with four counts of criminal homicide and four counts of attempted murder.
Shaw was honored by state lawmakers who hailed him as a hero at an event at the state Capitol in Nashville on Tuesday.
“I never thought I’d be in a room with all the eyes on me, but you know, I’m very grateful to be here,” Shaw told the lawmakers.
The Antioch Waffle House is one of more than 1,500 operated by the Norcross, Ga., company. Employees from the Atlanta area were brought in to assist the reopening.
Shortly after the shooting, Shaw launched an online campaign to raise money for the families of the victims. It has raised more than $135,000 so far.
Separately, a campaign launched by freelance journalist Yashar Ali has raised more than $125,000 for Shaw and his 4-year-old daughter.
“James Shaw Jr. put his life on the line when he took on the gunman who killed four people at a Nashville area Waffle House,” Ali wrote on the campaign’s Go Fund Me page. “Since that horrific shooting, he has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the victims and shown a level of humility that has inspired many of us.”
“I normally don’t get involved directly in these matters,” Ali added, “but James’ grace has inspired me to start this page to give him the support I feel he deserves.”
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