A GoFundMe page set up to help James Shaw Jr., the Nashville Waffle House hero who pulled a gun away from a shooter on Monday has already reached over $50,000
Shaw suffered serious injuries during the scuffle with the gunman and from pulling the gun away. A GoFundMe page was set up by Yashar Ali, who was moved by the heroic actions of Mr. Shaw.
James Shaw Jr. put his life on the line when he took on the gunman who killed four people at a Nashville area Waffle House. Since that horrific shooting, he has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the victims and shown a level of humility that has inspired many of us. I normally don't get involved directly in these matters, but James' grace has inspired me to start this page to give him the support I feel he deserves. According to news reports, James has a four-year-old daughter. Perhaps this money can be used for her college fund or some other education-related expense. But I'd be just as happy if James used some of this money to take his family on a nice vacation. Funds will be transferred directly to James Shaw Jr. through GoFundMe.
James put his own life on the line when he was forced to make a split second decision; to get shot or fight for his life. His efforts may have saved the lives of others in the restaurant. In various interviews with the press, Shaw maintains a level of humility and claims that he is "no hero" and that anyone would have done the same.
"I’m not a hero. I’m just a regular person, and I think anybody could have did what I did if they are just pushed into that kind of cage,” says Shaw.
“You have to either react or you’re going to fold, and I chose to react because I didn’t see any other way of living, and that’s all I wanted to do. I just wanted to live.”
Photo: NASHVILLE, TN - APRIL 22: Waffle House patron James Shaw, Jr. (C) who stopped the shooting at a Waffle House where a gunman opened fire killing four and injuring two attends a press conference with FBI Special Agent In Charge, Matthew Espenshade (L) and Metro Nashville Mayor David Briley (right) on April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. Shaw, Jr., 29, took action disarming the gunman and ultimately forcing him out of the Waffle House restaurant. Travis Reinking, 29, of Morton, IL, is person of interest in the shooting and is suspected to have left the scene naked. (Photo by Jason Davis/Getty Images)