Illinois

Police: 4 Killed in Nashville Waffle House Shooting, IL Man ‘Person of Interest'

Three people died at the scene and a fourth died at a local hospital, police said

An Illinois man has become a person of interest, police say, after four people were killed in a shooting at a Waffle House restaurant in Tennessee early Sunday.

According to police, the gunman who opened fire with a rifle, killed four people and before fleeing the scene, had his gun wrestled away by a restaurant patron.

Police are searching for 29-year-old Travis Reinking from Illinois, who they named as a person of interest. Police later tweeted that "murder warrants are now being drafted against" him. The vehicle found at the scene is registered to Reinking.

Six people were shot at the Waffle House in Antioch, Tennessee, Metro Nashville Police said. Four of the victims died, and the two others are being treated at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. A hospital spokesperson said one patient was in critical condition and the other was in critical but stable condition.

Witnesses said the gunman arrived at the restaurant in a pick-up truck and began shooting outside just before 3:30 a.m, according to police. He then walked into the Waffle House and continued shooting.

Others were injured in the incident, and because the glass of the restaurant's front window was shot out, some people had cuts on their faces, police said.

A 29-year-old patron who attempted to flee the restaurant struggled with the gunman for the firearm, according to police. The patron grabbed the gun from the man and tossed it behind the counter, and then the gunman fled.

"No doubt he saved many lives by wresting the gun away and tossing it over the counter and prompting the man to leave," police spokesman Don Aaron said of the patron.

Police identified the customer as James Shaw, Jr, who was reportedly grazed by a bullet and later released from the hospital.

Shaw told the Tennessean that he was "just trying to get myself out. I saw the opportunity and pretty much took it."

Afghan captives held by the Taliban have been subjected to abuse, ill-treatment and actions that may amount to torture, the U.N. said Sunday — a statement that comes as the U.S. is trying to find a negotiated solution to the country's protracted war. The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said it interviewed 13 detainees from a group of 53 recently rescued from the Taliban, mainly members of Afghan forces but also civilians and government officials captured by the insurgents. The group was freed on April 25 when Afghan troops raided a Taliban-run detention facility in the Khas Uruzgan district in southern Uruzgan province.

"When I was in the ambulance to hospital, I kept thinking that I'm going to wake up and it's not going to be real," Shaw said. "It is something out a movie. I'm OK though, but I hate that it happened."

Police said witnesses saw the man leave the restaurant and shed his green jacket, which had additional ammunition in it, and was left nude.

Aaron said the man lived at an apartment complex in the area and, based on witness reports, went to the complex and put on a pair of pants. He added that witnesses saw a man in a nearby wooded area, and several police dogs were tracking the man, some six hours after the shooting.

A motive has not yet been determined, and the investigation is ongoing. The FBI confirmed to NBC News that it was assisting in gathering information.

Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Ill., responded to the shooting on Twitter later Sunday, mourning the "innocent victims" and thanking first responders. He also called for a change in gun laws.

"Many will say now is not the time to discuss change. But now IS the time," Cooper wrote. "We can and must do everything possible to prevent these tragedies and keep Americans safe. That starts with restricting widespread civilian access to military-grade assault weapons."

Nashville Mayor David Briley said the shooting represents "a tragic day" for the city.

"My heart goes out to the families & friends of every person who was killed or wounded in this morning's shooting. I know all of their lives will be forever changed by this devastating crime," Briley said on Twitter.

Waffle House in a statement Sunday said the company is still gathering details on the situation and is deferring all questions about the incident to the Metro Police in Nashville.

"We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident," the company said. "Right now, our first thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we will be there for them in this most difficult time. Our condolences go out to them."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Us