It was an act of heroism that James Shaw Jr., 29, displayed when he took down an armed man at a Waffle House in Tennessee. The attacker was a naked gunman who came into the establishment on Sunday, and claimed the lives of four people. Travis Reinking (the attacker) concealed a semi automatic AR-15 rifle under his coat and was completely naked, police stated.

Travis Reinking burst through the restaurant at 3:15 a.m.

and opened fire. James Shaw Jr. stated that he was at a nightclub before he went to the Waffle House. The first Waffle house was crowded so he decided to go to the one in Nashville. Mr. Shaw at first was completely bewildered by the situation, and jumped onto the countertops attempting to flee into the bathroom. Mr. Shaw concluded it was not a good idea, and that the shooter was going to “get him [Shaw] either way,” he told Today on Monday.

Mr. Shaw went on saying that he was waiting for the opportunity to try and take down the gunman. When the barrel was brought down, he quickly responded and began wrestling the assailant onto the ground, where both men began fighting for the gun.

After a few minutes of struggling between the two men, the gunman fled the scene.

James Shaw Jr. describes his deed as a “selfish act,” saying, “I just wanted to live.” Though, to the lives of everyone else in the restaurant it is because of his bravery that more people were not injured or killed. He is being called a hero.

The Nashville mayor hailed James Shaw Jr. as a hero for wrestling a semiautomatic weapon from the gunman's hands. Mr. Shaw, taking a more modest approach, believes he deserves no such title. Mr. Shaw said in a statement that he did his heroic deed "just to save myself."

The motive

Travis Reinking, 29, has a history of violence and had several encounters with police over the past two years.

Nashville police stated that he suffers from severe delusions such as believing that pop singer Taylor Swift is following him.

As to the motive behind the Waffle House shooting, it is still unclear. When Travis Reinking fled the scene, he was captured in the woods by police. He was found with a handgun and ammunition in his backpack. Travis Reinking is refusing to speak to a lawyer and answer question regarding the deadly shooting.

The names of the victims

Four lives were lost as a result of the shooting and their names are: Akilah DaSilva, 23, DeEbony Groves, 21, Joe Peres, 20, and Taurean Sanderlin, 29.