In the tragedy surrounding the Waffle House shooting that left four dead just outside of Nashville, Tennessee early Sunday morning, a beacon of light shined after an expecting mother delivered her baby outside the crime scene Sunday afternoon.
The Tennessean reports that the woman drove up to the crime scene swarming with investigators and media just hours after four lives were claimed by a shooter wielding an AR-15 style rifle who remains at large.
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The pregnant woman’s car had been involved in a minor wreck while she was on her way to the hospital, Fire Department spokesman Joseph Pleasant said, so she pulled over near the Waffle House in Antioch.
Tommy Hughes, a division manager for the restaurant chain, who was coping with the loss of employees and customers, approached the car and saw a woman who had just given birth inside.
Hughes reportedly cleared the baby’s nose and mouth and waited for emergency responders to arrive. The woman and baby were transported by a medic unit to Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital, according to Pleasant.
“The baby just decided it was time,” said Pat Warner, a spokesman for Waffle House.
The hospital declined to respond to information about the condition of the mother and baby, citing privacy rules, according to the Tennessean.
The birth came just hours after suspected gunman Travis Reinking opened fire at the Waffle House on Murfreesboro Pike around 3:23 a.m. First, he fired at two men standing outside the building, then opened fire inside. Police and witnesses said he was only wearing a jacket, which he eventually shed.
During the shooting, 29-year-old James Shaw Jr. wrestled the gun out of Reinking’s hands, preventing him from killing more people. Police hailed him as a hero despite his statements downplaying the “hero” term.
“You had a citizen step up to intervene with an active shooter,” police spokesman Don Aaron said during a press conference. “He is the hero here and no doubt he saved many lives.”
After the weapon was taken away from him, Reinking fled the scene and dropped his jacket, which police said had more ammunition in the pockets. He was later seen again wearing black pants and no shirt.
Police are still searching for Reinking and say he may be carrying two guns with him now. After a search of the scene and Reinking’s apartment, police have the AR-15 he allegedly used in the shooting and a second gun. The did not find the other two, described as a handgun and hunting rifle.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation put him on its Top 10 Most Wanted list. “He stands 6’4″, weighs 180 pounds, and should be considered armed and dangerous,” the bureau said.
Although federal, state and local officials were aware of Reinking because of “previous interactions,” Nashville police said they never interacted with him before Sunday. The department said it was drafting murder charges against him.
Police are still unaware of a motive for the shooting. Anyone who thinks they see him or have information on Reinking’s whereabouts are asked to call Emergency Communications Center at 615-862-8600, Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463 or 911.
