Waffle House has offered to pay for the funerals of all four victims killed in Sunday morning’s shooting in the Antioch, Nashville, Tennessee location.
The company also plans to help pay for the medical expenses of the two people injured in the shooting. A representative for Waffle House spoke to TMZ, saying that they have reached out to the families of the victims to find out how they can help. The restaurant chain reportedly intends to pay for all of the funeral and medical costs stemming from the shooting, if possible.
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The company’s director of public relations, Pat Warner, told the outlet that Senior Management officials, including the company’s CEO, have visited with the surviving victims and their families personally. In particular, people from the company have formed a relationship with James Shaw Jr., the 29-year-old man who disarmed the gunman and ended the shooting. Shaw has also been offered assistance in the aftermath of the shooting.
At 3:25 a.m. on Sunday morning, 29-year-old Travis Reinking allegedly attacked the restaurant with a Bushmaster AR-15 assault-style rifle. He is in jail on $2 million bond, facing four charges of murder.
All four of Reinking’s alleged victims were young people of color. He took the lives of 29-year-old Taurea C. Sanderlin, 20-year-old Joe R. Perez, 23-year-old Akilah Dasilva and 21-year-old DeEbony Groves. Groves and Dasilva were college students, while Perez was a local patron and Sanderlin was an employee of the Waffle House.
Reinking was on the run for nearly 36 hours after the shooting. When Shaw disarmed him, he took off on foot, dropping his jacket to reveal that he was nude underneath. He was spotted entering a wooded area near his apartment complex, and he then led police on a prolonged manhunt.
Sources close to the investigation say there’s a chance that his father, Jeffrey Reinking, will face charges as well. According to the Associated Press, Reinking’s father Jeffrey Reinking “could potentially” face charges for giving guns back to his son knowing that he was mentally ill with a history of violent outbursts, according to a federal agent source.
Meanwhile, Shaw has set up a GoFundMe page to benefit the other victims of the shooting. The 29-year-old has been lauded for his quick thinking and his humility since the shooting took place.
“I don’t really know, when everyone said that (I was a hero), it feels selfish,” Shaw told The Tennessean. “I was just trying to get myself out. I saw the opportunity and pretty much took it.”
