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Donald Trump Calls Waffle House Hero James Shaw, Jr. To Thank Him For His Quick Thinking

By Robert Jonathan
Published on: 08:02 PST, May 14, 2018

U.S. President Donald Trump has spoken directly with Waffle House hero James Shaw Jr. this morning by telephone to thank him for his quick thinking in disarming the alleged assailant, according to White House spokesman Raj Shah. See clip embedded below.

On April 22, a man opened fire with a rifle at a Nashville, Tennessee, Waffle House restaurant, killing four customers and wounding many others. “Shaw, 29, who was a customer at the South Nashville restaurant, is credited with saving numerous lives after he wrestled an AR-15 out of the hands of Travis Reinking, whom police say opened fire about 3:25 a.m.,” the Tennessean recalled. Shaw burned the palm of his hand on the weapon in the process.

After a 34-hour manhunt, cops captured the alleged gunman.

James Shaw Jr. is apparently also likely to meet with the president at the White House in the near future, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders implied.

Some Trump critics assailed him for not publicly mentioning or contacting the Waffle House hero sooner. That said, the president has had a few other things on his plate recently, including withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal and finalizing a summit meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

In an interview on CNN earlier this month, Shaw, who is an AT&T technician, seemed unconcerned that he hadn’t been contacted yet as far as he knew, acknowledged that the president has a busy schedule, and added that he wasn’t necessarily seeking recognition for his actions at the Waffle House last month.

In a news conference the day after the shooting, James Shaw Jr. modestly denied being a hero, instead describing himself as a regular person.

“I think anybody could’ve did what I did if they’re just pushed in that kind of cage, and you have to either react or you’re going to, you know, fold,” continued Shaw, according to NPR.

Nashville police officials, however, deemed him a hero who prevented further fatalities that morning in the 24-hour breakfast eatery attack.

Shaw has raised about $250,000 so far via GoFundMe for the victims of the shooting and their families, with the donations still coming in. His alma mater, Tennessee State University, has established a scholarship in his name. Shaw also recently met with some of the survivors of the Parkland High School shooting.

Local media has contacted James Shaw Jr. for further details about his conversation this morning with President Trump. Check back with the Inquisitr for updates.

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