HEARTWARMING

Waffle House Hero Raises $150,000 for Victims’ Families

James Shaw Jr. initially only asked for $15,000, but donations quickly skyrocketed.

The 29-year-old man credited with saving lives when he tackled a gunman who allegedly shot up a Tennessee Waffle House over the weekend has raised more than $150,000 for the families of the victims. James Shaw Jr. started a GoFundMe page on Sunday with the goal of raising $15,000, but by Wednesday night, donations had ballooned to more than $152,000. In a note on the fundraising page, Shaw Jr. said he wanted to “help the families of the victims” and that “all of the proceeds will be given to the families.” Four people were killed when suspected gunman Travis Reinking allegedly used an assault-style rifle to shoot into the restaurant in Antioch early Sunday morning. Police said the death toll could have been much higher had Shaw Jr. not intervened, charging at Reinking and taking his rifle away. The Waffle House where the attack occurred has also vowed to honor the victims, with the next 30 days of proceeds to go to the families of those slain and the two surviving victims who remain hospitalized.