'Waffle House' suspected shooter is finally captured by police, thanks to an unarmed hero

Travis Reinking is in police custody, suspected of killing four people

Nashville Police have announced the capture of the fugitive suspected of killing 4 people and wounding 2 more at a Waffle House Restaurant on Sunday, the 22nd of April 2018, reported PopCulture.com on the 23rd of April 2018.

The shooting incident occurred early Sunday morning in Nashville when a man fired an AR-15 assault rifle into the restaurant from the parking lot. James Shaw Jr., one of the patrons of the restaurant tackled the shooter, wrestling the gun from his hands.

Shaw disarmed the man later identified as Travis Reinking and threw the gun out of his reach, behind a counter. Reinking removed his coat and fled, revealing that he was nude underneath.

Reinking fled from the Police and eluded them for 36 hours, supposedly by hiding in the nearby woods. When the 29-year-old Reinking was taken into custody he was wearing jeans and a maroon t-shirt, both dirty and torn, and his arm was injured.

"Travis is hostile toward police and does not recognize police authority. Travis also possesses several firearms."

Police Report dated May 2016, CNN, 23rd of April 2018

Reinking's victims have been identified as 29-year-old Taurea C. Sanderlin, 20-year-old Joe R. Perez, 23-year-old Akilah Dasilva and 21-year-old DeEbony Groves.

Perez was a local patron and Sanderlin was an employee of WAffle house, while Groves and Dasilva were both college students. All four were people of color, which may point to a racially motivated hate crime.

Police have not yet revealed whether or not whether Reinking was armed when he was captured.

Just 8 months ago, police seized 4 firearms and ammunition from Reinking's apartment on August 24, after he had attempted to force his way into the White House to meet President Donald Trump.

The police later returned the guns to Reinking's father, and investigators believe that he may have given the firearms back to his son. Tragically, the AR-15 used in the Waffle House shooting was one of those four guns.

Once again authorities have knowledge of disturbed personalities in possession of firearms, and again nothing is done to protect the public.

In the Miami shooting, Security Forces had been alerted that the shooter was dangerous; but in Nashville, the Police knew that Travis Reinking was a threat, and returned the deadly firearms to his family knowing they could end up back in his hands.