James Shaw Jr., Man Who Stopped Waffle House Shooter, Hailed As Hero
Black Man Who Stopped White Domestic Terrorist At Waffle House Hailed As Hero
Source: Jason Davis / Getty
The fatal shooting incident at a Tennessee Waffle House rocked residents in the state and sent shockwaves across the nation as the gun control debate remains hotter than ever. Although the still-at-large shooter remains a looming threat, James Shaw Jr., the previously unnamed man who stopped the rampage, is being hailed as a hero.
Shaw, 29, has shown heavy reluctance to the fanfare he’s experiencing and was quite honest in saying he didn’t think about saving lives in as much he was trying to save himself. Local outlet The Tennesseean has more.
The Tennesseean writes:
Shaw Jr. rushed the gunman, grabbed the gun’s barrel, pulled it away and threw it over the Waffle House counter. He suffered a gunshot wound and burns from grabbing the gun’s barrel.
Shaw Jr. said he doesn’t feel like a hero.
He was only trying to stay alive.
“It feels selfish,” Shaw Jr. “I was just trying to get myself out. I saw the opportunity and pretty much took it.”
Friends, families and the community disagree.
“He is a hero in my books,” said Brennan McMurry, 28, a longtime friend of Shaw’s who was with him at the Waffle House.
And on Twitter, the charming Shaw is becoming something of a big deal as users are showering him with praise. We’ve collected those responses below and on the following pages.
https://twitter.com/HI_XpeKtations/status/988172610608549888
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Photo: Getty
