How to Help the Waffle House Shooting Victims
A massive manhunt has just led to the capture of the suspected white gunman who opened fire at a Waffle House in Nashville on Sunday. He killed four people of color and wounded two more.
Travis Reinking, 29, entered the restaurant shortly before 3:30 a.m. on Sunday and opened fire. He was stopped by a patron, James Shaw, Jr., who wrestled the gun out of his hands while he was reloading.
Reinking was arrested last year for trespassing near the White House. As a result, he was required to surrender his firearms. Authorities seized a total of three rifles and a handgun from Reinking, who at the time was living in Morton, Ill.
However, officials revealed on Sunday that the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois had returned the firearms to Reinking’s father. One of those rifles, an AR-15, was believed to be used in Sunday’s attack.
How to help the victims of the shooting
Remember the victims: All six victims shot on Sunday were people of color in their 20s.
Akilah Dasilva, 23, who went by the nickname “Natrix,” studied musical engineering at Middle Tennessee State University.
DeEbony Groves, 21, was a senior at Belmont University, majoring in social work.
Joe R. Perez, 20, was killed outside of the restaurant. His mother posted on Facebook that his family is “broken now with this loss.”
Taurean C. Sanderlin, 29, was an employee at the restaurant who was killed outside of the building.
Two more victims — Shanita Waggoner, 21, of Nashville and Sharita Henderson, 24, of Antioch — are receiving care at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Donate to their families: James Shaw Jr., the hero who disarmed the gunman at the Waffle House, has set up a GoFundMe page to donate to the families of the victims.
A separate funeral fund has been set up for Akilah DaSilva to support his family.
How to help stop gun violence
Learn more about “red flag” civil gun seizure laws and efforts to keep firearms away from dangerous people.
Connect with and support gun control groups fighting enormous odds against a well-funded NRA, like Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Everytown for Gun Safety, States United to Prevent Gun Violence, Stop Handgun Violence, Violence Policy Center, Americans for Responsible Solutions, Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus, No NRA Money, Community Justice Reform Coalition, Parents Promise to Kids, Guns Down, Goodbye Gun Stocks, and Color of Change.
Also check out the brand-new project #NoRA (short for “No NRA”), a culture project launched by activists and celebrities to counteract the influence of NRA money in the American political system.
