What We Know About The Tennessee Waffle House Shooting
NASHVILLE (CNN) -- Authorities are searching for Travis Reinking, who is suspected of carrying out a mass shooting at a Waffle House restaurant in the Nashville area on Sunday, killing four people. He is believed to be armed and dangerous.
Here's what we know about the incident:
What happened?
Reinking, 29, approached a Waffle House in Antioch around 3:23 a.m. (4:23 a.m. ET) and used an "assault-type rifle" to fatally shoot two people standing outside, according to Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron. Reinking, who was barely clothed at the time, then went inside the restaurant and continued firing. Two victims inside were also fatally shot. Others were wounded, suffering cuts to their faces and bodies from shattered windows.
The shooting ended when a patron, James Shaw Jr., was able to wrestle the weapon away from the gunman, who then fled on foot.
Who is the suspected gunman?
Reinking is from Morton, Illinois. He moved to Tennessee in 2017.
According to police, Reinking was once arrested by the Secret Service for trespassing near the White House. He was charged with unlawful entry, an arrest report states, but had his charges dismissed after completing community service.
The FBI interviewed Reinking shortly after he completed the program and seized his guns. Authorities in Tazewell County, Illinois, later returned the seized weapons to Reinking's father, who gave them back to his son, police said. One of those guns was the same AR-15-style rifle used in Sunday's attack.
In May 2016, Reinking experienced a delusional episode in his hometown of Morton, according to a police report. He told first responders that he believed pop star Taylor Swift was stalking him. Reinking's family also told police he had made comments about killing himself and owned several guns.
Who are the victims?
Authorities identified the victims as:
Taurean C. Sanderlin, 29, of Goodlettsville, Tennessee. She was a Waffle House employee.
Joe R. Perez, 20, of Nashville.
Akilah Dasilva, 23, of Antioch.
DeEbony Groves, 21, of Gallatin.
What happened to the man who stopped the shooting?
The man who wrestled the gun away from Reinking and prevented him from killing more people doesn't want to be called a hero.
James Shaw Jr. said he ambushed and wrestled Reinking to save himself.
"I'm a believer that everybody could do what I did," Shaw told CNN affiliate WSMV-TV.
Shaw tackled Reinking as he was looking at his rifle and had stopped shooting.
"He decided to rush the gunman, actually wrestled that assault rifle away, tossed it over the counter. At that point, the gunman then fled," said Aaron.
Shaw was grazed by a bullet on his elbow while grappling with the gunman. He also burned his right hand grabbing the barrel of the weapon.
The shooting didn't stop Shaw from going to church with his father Sunday morning, hours after confronting the gunman. His hand could be seen wrapped in a bandage during a press conference Sunday afternoon.
What's happening now?
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has added Reinking to its "Top 10 Most Wanted List" and launched a massive manhunt for the shooter, who they believe may still be armed and dangerous.
"Keep your doors locked, keep your eyes open. If you see this individual -- if you see a nude guy walking around this morning -- call the police department immediately," Aaron said.
Nashville police said more than 80 officers are searching for Reinking with the help of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Reinking faces felony charges, including three counts of criminal homicide.
In Tazewell, Illinois, where Reinking's guns were originally seized, Sheriff Robert Huston said in a Sunday press conference that he wasn't sure if Reinking is headed back to the area, but that his department is ready for it.
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