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With the School Walkout post over guns and gun laws, this story might extend that discussion...

Waffle House shooting leaves 4 dead, several wounded in Tennessee


By JUSTIN CARISSIMO CBS NEWS April 22, 2018, 11:49 PM
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Four people were killed and several others were wounded in a shooting at a Waffle House in Tennessee early Sunday, authorities said. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department identified the suspect as 29-year-old Travis Reinking of Morton, Illinois, who remains at large.

Reinking arrived at the Waffle House parking lot in Antioch around 3 a.m. local time. He exited his truck and began firing an AR-15 at two people outside the restaurant, Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron said. He then went inside the restaurant and opened fire.

Congressman calls for gun control in wake of Waffle House shooting
Authorities discovered two magazines of AR-15 ammunition in a green jacket Reinking left behind. "He clearly came armed with a lot of firepower to devastate the south Nashville area," Aaron said.

"There is a chance that Reinking is at large with two other weapons," he added. Police said they were not aware of any motives for the shooting.

"We suspect some mental issues but at this time there's no notes, no verbal explanations so we don't have a motive at this time," Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson said in a news conference Sunday.

Shooting victims identified
Authorities identified the victims as 29-year-old restaurant worker Taurean C. Sanderlin of Goodlettsville, 20-year-old restaurant customer Joe R. Perez of Nashville, 21-year-old DeEbony Groves of Gallatin and 23-year-old Akilah DaSilva of Antioch.

Two patients were receiving care at Vanderbilt University Medical Center on Sunday, one was listed in critical condition and the other in stable.

Dasilva's mother, Shaundelle Brooks, told CBS News her son was a student at Middle Tennessee State University where he pursued a career in musical engineering.

"He meant the world us. He was humble, kind, compassionate, outgoing and very creative. We could describe him in so many words. He spoke through his creativity and he entertained the world through his music," she said. "Akilah ... meaning the intelligent one who reasons."

The family said his girlfriend, 21-year-old Shanita Waggoner, was one of those wounded in the shooting. They said she underwent surgery and doctors were "trying to save her leg."

Waffle House "hero" James Shaw Jr.
Police praised a customer who prevented further bloodshed in the shooting. They said James Shaw Jr., 29, rushed Reinking, wrestled him to the ground and tossed the weapon. Shaw's hands were severely burned from grabbing the AR-15 but he still managed to push Reinking out of the establishment.

"He is the hero here, and no doubt he saved many lives by wrestling the gun away and then tossing it over the counter, and prompting the man to leave," Aaron said.

Shaw said he wasn't going to make it easy for Reinking to kill him and said he knew he only had one chance.

"I saw an opportunity -- my window -- so I took it. I ran through the door as fast as I could and just kind of jammed him up with the gun when it pointed down. We started wrestling and fighting for it. I just took it and tossed it over the counter. I pushed him out of the restaurant and he walked off," Shaw told WTVF-TV.

Shooting suspect's past
In July 2017, Reinking was arrested by U.S. Secret Service for being in a restrictive area near the White House. Special Agent Todd Hudson said Reinking had refused to leave the area, saying he wanted to set up a meeting with President Trump.

Reinking's firearms authorization was revoked in Illinois and four weapons were seized by authorities, among them was the AR-15 used in Sunday's shooting, police said. The guns were returned to Reinking's father, who told police he gave them back to his son.

Police said they discovered two guns, but two others were still unaccounted for.

Reinking was added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's (TBI) "Top Ten Most Wanted list" and authorities are offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to his arrest

Witnesses recall shooting
A witness, Chuck Cordero, said he watched the gunman shoot his friend, who works as a cook at the restaurant.

"He pulled up, he got right out, he was prepared to do what he did. He didn't look around for anybody, he just kinda got out and just started shooting and there just happened to be two people standing right outside," Cordero told WTVF-TV.

Another witness, BJ McMurry, was inside the restaurant during the shooting. He said the "number one thing I could think about was calling my wife and my son."

"I don't think I've ever seen someone there like that -- someone lying on the floor bleeding and there's nothing you can do," McMurry told WTVF-TV.

Waffle House issued a statement saying they were "deeply saddened" by the "tragic incident."

"This is a very sad day for the Waffle House family, and we ask for everyone to keep the victims and their families in their thoughts and prayers," according to the statement.

As the manhunt continues for Reinking, Nashville officials announced on Facebook that schools in the search area will follow "lock out procedures." They explained that "students will be free to move throughout the building as usual, however there will be no guests or visitors allowed to enter the building":

Metro Nashville Public Schools
12 hours ago
We want to provide important information regarding our plans for school tomorrow (April 23) in light of the ongoing search for the Waffle House shooting suspect. All schools in the search area have been checked and cleared by Metro Police and MNPS School Security. Our school security will continue to check and monitor schools throughout the evening.

On Monday morning, we will focus security personnel in the area and schools will follow lock-out procedures until the manhunt ...
See More

CBS News' Gisela Perez contributed to this report.

Thoughts and prayers.

Waffle House mass shooting: What we know about the suspect

By M.L. NESTEL
Apr 22, 2018, 9:12 PM ET
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He tried to meet the president by hopping a barrier at the White House and was convinced that Taylor Swift was stalking him.

Both incidents landed Travis Reinking on the radar of authorities ranging from local Illinois cops to Secret Service agents.

The latter helped authorities strip Reinking of his guns last year.

Yet, a half-naked Reinking -- armed with one of the seized rifles -- allegedly targeted a Waffle House near Nashville during the pre-dawn hours on Sunday and shot four people to death. Four others were wounded by either bullets or shattered glass.

Authorities believe he would have killed or wounded more had a 29-year-old patron at the restaurant not tackled him and stopped the attack. While Reinking was attempting to reload, James Shaw, Jr., standing by the bathroom area of the restaurant, confronted him and wrested control of Reinking's gun and "tossed it over the counter," according to police.

Reinking, 29, a construction worker from Morton, Illinois, allegedly committed the bloodshed and then apparently ran home for some pants. He remained on the lam as of Sunday evening, as Metropolitan Nashville Police officers and dogs hunt him down.


Gunman on the run after killing 4 people at a Waffle House near Nashville
Man who wrestled gun from shooter: 'If I was going to die, he was going to have to work for it'
Police said Reinking drove up to the Waffle House in a gold Chevrolet Silverado pickup about 3:30 a.m.

He lingered inside the cab for "three to four minutes" before he allegedly exited, clad in only a green jacket without pants or a shirt, armed with an AR-15 rifle.

According to police, Reinking shot up the Waffle House and killed Waffle House employee Taurean Sanderlin, 29, and customer Joe Perez, 20, while they were standing outside.

Then, police said, Reinking entered the eatery and "continued shooting."

Akilah Sasilva, 23, and a 21-year-old unidentified woman were both shot inside the Waffle House. Sasilva died after she was taken to a local hospital.

Two others managed to survive gunshot wounds, police said.

After Shaw stopped the attack, Reinking, now unarmed, fled on foot, shedding the jacket as well.

Police confirmed more ammo was found inside the jacket.

Police believe the now completely naked suspect stopped by an apartment complex nearby to retrieve a pair of black trousers but remains shirtless, witnesses alerted police.

As authorities attempt to reel Reinking into custody, a profile of Reinking began to form.

According to police, Reinking worked in construction locally in Nashville.

He was fired from his job three weeks ago but was hired by a new employer Monday. He failed to show up for work the following day, however, police said.

Before Sunday, trouble had been brewing for Reinking for years.

On the evening of May 27, 2016, Tazewell County Sheriff's deputies and emergency personnel descended on a CVS Pharmacy parking lot where Reinking was allegedly suicidal and convinced that pop singer Taylor Swift was stalking and harassing him. He also believed the cops and his parents were in on it.

In the incident report, Reinking claimed Swift "hacked his Netflix account and told him to meet her at the Dairy Queen in Morton."

While at the Dairy Queen, Reinking told deputies Swift "was across the street yelling at him before she took off running," according to the report.

Reinking gave chase up the side of a building, the report states, "in an attempt to get her to stop harassing him."

Reinking's relatives were on hand to talk the young man from doing harm to himself and he ultimately was taken to a hospital to be mentally evaluated.

On June 16, 2017, Reinking was accused of driving up to a local pool in Tremont Park where police state in a report that he flashed an AR-15 rifle, but then quickly stored it in his car trunk.

But, the report notes, Reinking allegedly took off a "pink woman's dress" to barge into a pool uninvited. When he was ordered out by lifeguards, he allegedly yelled at them and "showed his genitals saying he was a man," the report revealed.

Nobody from the pool decided to press criminal trespassing charges, authorities said.

But the incident compelled Tazewell deputies to inquire about the weapon in the car trunk. When they did, they discovered he had a firearm's license, police said.

When the deputies spoke with Reinking's father, he admitted he "took three rifles and a handgun away and locked them up when [Reinking] was having problems," according to the incident report made after the pool incident.

Reinking had left the state for nine months, his father told deputies, according to the report.

The weapons were allegedly stored by Reinking's sister "for safekeeping," the report states.

The report adds that deputies warned Reinking's father that when his son returns home "he might want to lock the guns back up until he gets mental help, which [his father] stated he would."

A month later on July 7, 2017, Reinking was arrested by the United States Secret Service for attempting to breach a barrier at the White House in a desperate hope to get a meeting with President Trump.

Reinking allegedly demanded to "get into the White House and speak with POTUS," according to a report on the incident, which doesn't include his name.

He was informed on ways to take an official tour but refused and repeated his demands, according to the report. He then took off his tie, balled it into his fist and attempted to walk past security barriers, the report said.

"Do what you need to do," he allegedly told the agents, according to the report. "Arrest me if you have to."

Agents quickly took Reinking into custody and charged him with "unlawful entry," the report adds.

In a statement by the Secret Service, Reinking was "charged with unlawful entry after crossing an exterior security barrier near the White House Complex."

Last August, Reinking was concerned that up to 30 people were "tapping into his computer and phone," according to a Tazewell County Sheriff's report, all following his attempts to send letters to Swift.

Weeks later on Aug. 24, 2017, Tazewell deputies retrieved Reinking's guns, including one Kimber 9mm pistol, a Bushmaster AR-15, CZ USA .22 caliber rifle, and a Remington 710 with miscellaneous ammunition, according to a report filed.

Reinking's firearms license was also revoked, according to the report.

The weapons landed back in Reinking's father's possession.

The father admitted to authorities Sunday that he gave the guns back to his son, according to the police statement.

One of the weapons, an AR-15, was allegedly used in the Waffle House slayings, police said.

So what your saying is that the laws we have should have prevented this and they did not.

So an obviously mentally ill man shoots up a Waffle House with a gun that was taken from him, and then given back to him by his father.

Yep, I'm gonna go ahead and say that this crime was preventable. Those guns should never have been given back to the father even. They should have been destroyed.

No more tip-toeing around the debate for me. Guns have to go.

And where were all the Rambo types there in the Waffle House that could've stopped him with their conceal and carry's?

No idea why the AR-15 was given back to his father. Is there a law preventing that?

If not, their should be. Because obviously his idiot father shouldn't have given the gun back to his son.

Maybe this is the case. If so, that makes a stronger case for better laws, more bans on AR-15's, or just ban them all.

where's devil at?

cops can harass some black kids doing nothing, but can't find a naked white guy who shot up a waffle house?

A good guy (albeit without a gun) did stop him.....but to answer your question....probably home in bed....on a typical night nothing good happens at 3am....good law abiding people tend to avoid those hours out of common sense.

And that guy is a hero. No argument from me there.

And come on, you've never been to a Denny's or Waffle House at 3am? Guess you've never worked 2nd shift. Or gone out for a night on the town. The point is that it doesn't matter why those people were at a Waffle House at 3am. They were innocent.

What you're doing is victim blaming and it's ridiculous.

Tell that to all the good law biding people who are working the night shift at the Waffle House

he was banned from having the gun - so no its the opposite fact. the ban on him from having the gun did nothing. more laws did nothing. banning him from a gun did nothing. are you blind to that fact.

Yep I have been out there at 3am.when I was in my 20s and bulletproof...and yep a whole lot of drugs and alcohol dominate that scene....which lead to bad stuff going down...avoid it like the plague now.

It actually sounds like the laws were followed to the letter of the law. The law easily allowed him to reattain his firearms. I think that would mean we need stricter laws.

the guns were taken from him, he was banned from owning a firearm or being in possession of a firearm. so please explain your opinion in further detail, from what I can see, the law was not followed, or he wouldn't have had a weapon.

The law allowed his weapons to be acquired by his father who takes care of him. It's a weak law. His weapons that were "confiscated" from him returned entirely into his possession and one was used to kill these people. If Bernie Madoff was freed tomorrow and given back all the money he made before his arrest, you would consider whatever law punished him a very weak law. Forfeiting a gun shouldn't equate to putting it in Daddy Dearest's crappy gun cabinet. It might sound crazy, but he should actually have to forfeit it.

Then given back.

The law forbid him from getting those guns from daddy, did they not? So your saying the law didn't prevent him from getting the guns?

not to him.

Not by the law but someone who broke the law.

Thr white kid ran away they black kids sat there and begged to be arrested.

Deplorable

I'm saying it's a weak law. We're all saying it's a weak law.

WTH man?! Not even warming up anymore before going that route huh?

i go all in, all the time. be mad all you want, but it seems like justice is swift for minorities, and half-assed when it comes to white guys.

apparently naked white guys.

So you don't think he has a good point and shouldn't bring it up?

Except the fact that laws while often intended to deter criminal behavior, they don't actually prevent it. If you continue to judge the strength of a law based upon what it does/doesn't prevent, every law is "weak".

Dad certainly has opened himself up to liability... criminally so. I don't think you'd find anyone who disagrees with prosecuting him.

Once the gum was over the counter "it" didn't harm anyone.

But here's the key point it was the guy behind the gun that hurt people, you could pass 1,000 laws and had he wanted to he could get a gun or knife or automobile or acid or bomb etc... Evil will find a way to do evil.

They couldn't keep a kid safe at a gun control walk out no guns were there. Prayers for the families.

Daddy should be arrested immediately and charged as an accomplice to murder.

Yes they were refused to buy anything and then made a scene after police asks them to leave several times for trespassing they refused and said arrest us...Just Deplorable

Don't worry Swish, there's more than enough black dudes killing in Chicago and getting away with it to make up for the disparity. They only clear between 20 and 30% of cases on average which comes out to several hundred evading swift justice a year.

What's Chicago got to do with it? About as much as your BS statement

He can bring it up, but just because he brings it up doesn't mean it's relevant to the topic in the least bit.

He made his point. A damn good one. You're just taking another route and deflecting away from the poor police work in these cases. Typical Trump/GOP tactic.

The black kids say "arrest us" and would not leave...great police work, while the white kid ran and was hiding from police...poor police work.

Blind by hate.

I believe he was full assed since he was naked ....dah dunt da!

I'm still waiting to see what the point actually is... poor police work... ok.. so tell us what about it makes it poor police work?

Maybe the Detective doing the poor police work are related to your CPA? You know, the guy that made your taxes go up from 12% to 25%?

It's noon here in Raleigh, half the cops in town are eating lunch, the other half is standing guard so none of them get shot ...

Sell it Vambo. Both police departments have egg their faces.

No they don't LOL

This is exactly why I'm against homicide laws in this country.

Look at this Waffle House shooting - the law specifically said that murder was illegal, but it didn't stop this kid from going and committing murder. What good are homicide laws, if people are just going to murder people anyway?