On April 22, 2018, Travis Reinking fatally shot four people and injured others at a Waffle House in Antioch, Nashville, before an unarmed customer, James Shaw Jr., wrestled his rifle away. Reinking was captured after a 34-hour manhunt and convicted in 2022 of first-degree murder.
On April 22, 2018, a mass shooting occurred at a Waffle House restaurant in the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee. Travis Jeffrey Reinking, then 29, arrived partially naked, wearing only a green jacket, and after sitting in a pickup truck in the parking lot for several minutes emerged with an AR-15-style rifle. He fatally shot two people outside the restaurant, then went inside and continued firing, killing a third person and fatally wounding a fourth, who later died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Four others were treated for related injuries, and two additional people were hurt by broken glass. The four people killed were Joe Perez Jr., 20; Taurean Sanderlin, 29; Akilah Dasilva, 23; and DeEbony Groves, 21.
During the attack, customer James Shaw Jr., who suffered a bullet graze wound, hid near the restrooms. When Reinking appeared to point the rifle downward, either to reload or clear a jam, Shaw rushed him, wrestled the weapon away, and threw it over the counter, sustaining burns from the hot barrel in the process. Reinking then fled on foot, nude, having abandoned his jacket, which was later found to contain 60 unused rounds of ammunition. He had fired 30 rounds during the attack.
Reinking evaded capture for approximately 34 hours before being found by police after a construction worker reported seeing him enter a wooded area near the restaurant. He was carrying a backpack containing a .45-caliber handgun and ammunition at the time of his arrest.
Reinking had a documented history of severe mental illness, including delusions involving pop singer Taylor Swift, erratic public behavior, and an arrest near the White House in July 2017 after crossing a security barrier. Following that arrest, Illinois authorities revoked his firearms authorization and seized several weapons, including the rifle later used in the shooting. Those weapons were returned to Reinking's custody by his father, Jeffrey Reinking, who had told authorities he would keep them secured from his son.
Reinking was charged with four counts of criminal homicide, four counts of attempted homicide, and one weapons count. He was initially found incompetent to stand trial in August 2018 due to schizophrenia but was later found competent in October 2018. Prosecutors announced in January 2020 that they would not seek the death penalty. At trial, Reinking pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity; the jury rejected that defense and convicted him on all counts on February 4, 2022, including four counts of first-degree premeditated murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Jeffrey Reinking was separately convicted in May 2022 of unlawfully delivering a firearm and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
James Shaw Jr. was widely credited as a hero for stopping the shooting, though he described his actions as motivated by self-preservation. He raised funds for victims and received public recognition, including a scholarship in his name and various awards.
Joe Perez Jr., Taurean Sanderlin, Akilah Dasilva, James Shaw Jr., DeEbony Groves
Date
2018
Location
Waffle House, Antioch, Nashville, Tennessee
Case status
solved
Case timeline
2016-05
Sheriff's deputies in Tazewell County, Illinois, respond to a call regarding Reinking's delusions about Taylor Swift.
2017-03
Reinking quits his crane operator job, citing beliefs that police were following him.
2017-06
Reinking is reported to police for erratic behavior, including carrying a rifle and wearing a dress, and for exposing himself at a public pool.
2017-07
U.S. Secret Service arrests Reinking near the White House after he crosses a barrier; Illinois revokes his firearms authorization and seizes weapons, later returned to his father's custody.
2017-11
Court dismisses the White House trespassing case after Reinking completes a deferred prosecution program.
2017
Reinking moves to the Nashville area in autumn.
2018-01
Reinking begins work as a crane and construction worker in Nashville.
2018-04-03
Reinking is fired from his job for claiming people were 'after him'.
2018-04-18
Reinking allegedly steals a BMW X6 from a Brentwood, Tennessee dealership, four days before the shooting.
2018-04-22
Reinking shoots four people to death and injures others at a Waffle House in Antioch, Nashville; customer James Shaw Jr. disarms him.
2018-04-23
Reinking is captured after a 34-hour manhunt.
2018-08
A judge finds Reinking incompetent to stand trial and orders him committed for treatment.
2018-10
Reinking is found competent to stand trial.
2020-01
Prosecutors announce they will not seek the death penalty against Reinking.
2022-01-25
Jury selection begins in Reinking's trial.
2022-01-31
Opening arguments are heard in the trial.
2022-02-04
Reinking is convicted on all counts, including four counts of first-degree premeditated murder.
2022-02-05
Reinking is sentenced to life in prison without parole.
2022-05
Jeffrey Reinking is convicted of unlawful delivery of a firearm and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
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Titles and descriptions are the creators’ own and may not reflect current legal status; see the dossier above for sourced case facts.
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He Believed Taylor Swift Was Stalking Him and Did the Unthinkable | Travis Reinking
People
Jeffrey Reinking
CONVICTED
Father of the shooter; convicted in May 2022 of unlawful delivery of a firearm for returning weapons to his son; sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Joe Perez Jr.
VICTIM
Killed in the shooting, age 20.
Taurean Sanderlin
VICTIM
Killed in the shooting, age 29.
Akilah Dasilva
VICTIM
Killed in the shooting, age 23.
Travis Reinking
CONVICTED
Convicted on February 4, 2022, of four counts of first-degree premeditated murder, attempted homicide counts, and a weapons charge; sentenced to life without parole.
James Shaw Jr.
VICTIM
Customer injured by a bullet graze wound who disarmed the shooter during the attack.
DeEbony Groves
VICTIM
Killed in the shooting, age 21.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
On April 22, 2018, Travis Reinking fatally shot four people and injured others at a Waffle House in Antioch, Nashville, before an unarmed customer, James Shaw Jr., wrestled his rifle away. Reinking was captured after a 34-hour manhunt and convicted in 2022 of first-degree murder.
Where did the shooting happen?
Waffle House, Antioch, Nashville, Tennessee.
Who was convicted?
Jeffrey Reinking (Father of the shooter; convicted in May 2022 of unlawful delivery of a firearm for returning weapons to his son; sentenced to 18 months in prison.) and Travis Reinking (Convicted on February 4, 2022, of four counts of first-degree premeditated murder, attempted homicide counts, and a weapons charge; sentenced to life without parole.).
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