James Shaw Jr. became a national hero after saving multiple lives at a Waffle House in Antioch, Tennessee, on April 22.
Shaw was dining at the restaurant when a gunman wielding an AR-15 began firing into the Waffle House. When the shooter stopped to reload, Shaw took him to the ground, wrestled the gun from his hands, and threw it behind the counter.
This is James Shaw. He’s a hero. His hands are burned from grabbing the barrel of a gun used to kill four people at a Nashville Waffle House. He says he’s sorry he couldn’t save more people. pic.twitter.com/QXIevQLfM1— Chris Conte (@chrisconte) April 22, 2018
Four people were killed in the incident, but at least a dozen lives were saved due to Shaw’s bravery. His arm was wounded in the skirmish and his hand was burned from grabbing the barrel of the hot rifle.
Shaw is not only a hero for his outstanding courage at the scene — he also started a GoFundMe page which raised over $200,000 for the families of those killed in the shooting. Because of his heroic deeds, another GoFundMe was created by journalist Yashar Ali to provide for Shaw and his 4-year-old daughter.
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On May 2, Shaw visited the “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and shared how he brought down the shooter. They also discussed Shaw’s favorite basketball player, Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat.
“Dwyane Wade, why is that?” asked DeGeneres.
“I like the way he carries himself off the court,” Shaw answered.
“Oh yeah?” DeGeneres replied. “Let’s see how he carries himself out here.”
That’s when Wade walked out onto the stage. Shaw was all smiles and the two shared a warm embrace. “I know you don’t want to be called a hero, but I look at you as an American hero,” Wade said. “When I sit down with my kids, and I sit down and talk to them about role models, who I want them to look up to, I’d tell them to go look up James Shaw, Jr.”
Wade then handed Shaw an oversized check for $20,000.
