A man who wrested a rifle away from a gunman who had fatally shot four people at a Waffle House restaurant in Tennessee last month has been cited by President Donald Trump for his heroism.
White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah said the president called James Shaw Jr. Monday morning to “commend his heroic actions and quick thinking” in the April 22 incident, according to NBC News.
Shaw, 29, took away an AR-15 rifle from accused gunman Travis Reinking, who fled the scene and was captured the next day, authorities said.
Though four were killed and four others injured — including Shaw, who was grazed by a bullet — Shaw is credited with saving the lives of numerous others inside the restaurant.
The New York man, who has a 4-year-old daughter, set up a GoFundMe crowdfunding account for the victims’ families that quickly raised more than $200,000.
Trump was nevertheless lambasted on social media for his delay in acknowledging Shaw’s actions, with some users suggesting that the delay was racially motivated. Shaw is Black and Reinking, the accused gunman, is White.
For his part, Shaw said during a May 4 appearance on CNN’s “The Van Jones Show” that he didn’t judge Trump for not reaching out to him.