Disturbed Gunman Travis Reinking Kills 4 at Waffle House Restaurant

Early on Sunday, a gunman killed at least four people at a Waffle House restaurant near Nashville Tennessee and then fled away. The perpetrator is still at large.

The shooter has been identified as Travis Reinking, 29, who was naked except for wearing a green jacket when he went on a rampage, killing at least four people. Reinking who is from Morton, Illinois was believed to live near the restaurant. He first killed two people in the parking lot of the restaurant a little before 3:30 am. After this, he entered the restaurant and opened fire killing two more people.

Diner James Shaw comes to the rescue

Amidst the chaos, one diner by the name of James Shaw who was also 29 was hiding near the restroom. When Shaw observed that the gunshots had stopped he jumped on the perpetrator and managed to grab the rifle away while wrestling with the perpetrator. He tossed the rifle over the counter. Left with no weapon, Reinking fled. As Reinking ran away, he discarded the jacket which contained additional ammunition.

Shaw stated that he didn’t run after the gunman for fear of him having another weapon. Shaw suffered injuries in his elbow, which was not a very serious wound. Some diners suffered facial wounds due to the shattered glass. In an interview with a Tennessee newspaper, Shaw refuses to be declared a hero, he said “It feels selfish. I was just trying to get myself out. I saw the opportunity and pretty much took it."

Two people wounded in the shooting are admitted to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. One is in critical condition while the other is in critical but stable condition.

History of disturbed behavior

It has come to light that gunman Travis Reinking earlier tried to breach a White House security barrier because he wanted to meet US President Donald Trump. According to the police, Reinkings possesses several arms. When FBI began an investigation after Reinking breached security near the White House, they discovered firearms and ammunition in his apartment. The firearms were seized and handed to his father. The police now believe that the firearms were handed back to him.

Two weeks prior to this incident, Reinking made a complaint to a sergeant saying that somebody is tapping his computer and phone and barking like dogs on August 11. The report states that he felt that he was being watched and it all started when he started writing to Taylor Swift. Reinking’s parents had once called emergency services as his son believed Taylor Swift was stalking him and he wanted to kill himself as a result of this. Reinking couldn’t even hold a job for long.

On June 16, 2017, an employee of his father’s business- J&J cranes called Tazewell County Sheriff’s office and reported that Reinking came down from his apartment in a pink dress, holding a rifle. He yelled and abused before he threw the rifle in the trunk and left. It’s believed that he was also seen near a pool in a pink house-coat. These are some of the reports that clearly indicate that Reinking was disturbed and delusional.

“At this point the young man could be anywhere and whether he might try to return home is a distinct possibility, so our officers are definitely on alert," Tazewell County Sheriff Robert Huston said Sunday in a news conference”.  Till the disturbed perpetrator is caught, citizens of Nashville will definitely have to be on guard.