Manhunt Continues for Waffle House Shooter

UPDATE: Waffle House Suspected Shooter Arrested

Police continue to search for a 29-year-old suspect that killed four people and injured three more at a Waffle House near Nashville.

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Apr 23, 2018

[UPDATE: April 23, 2018 1:30 p.m.]

Authorities say they have captured a suspected gunman wanted for killing four people at a Waffle House in Middle Tennessee. 

The Metro Nashville Police tweeted around 2:05 p.m. local time that the murder suspect was in custody. 

This is a breaking story. Please follow @SecurToday for timely updates.

Original story posted below.

Police continue to search for a 29-year-old man suspected of killing four people and injuring another four in a Waffle House outside of Nashville on Sunday morning.

The Metro Nashville Police Department said early Monday morning that there had been no "credible sightings" of the suspected gunman and after an overnight search by local, state and federal law enforcement officers.

Metro Nashville Police have also ensured that all schools in the area have been cleared of potential threats and will remain on "lockout" mode as the search continues. "Guests and visitors will not be allowed inside school buildings," school officials said.

The shooting happened at an Antioch, Tenn. Waffle House just before 3:30 a.m. on Sunday. Metro Nashville Police say the gunman was sitting in his truck for a few minutes, looking around, before he got out, clothed in only a green jacket, and immediately began shooting at customers in the parking lot.

The gunman, according to police, continued shooting as he walked inside, shattering the windows of the establishment. At one point, he stopped to reload his weapon. That's when police say a customer, 29-year-old James Shaw, lunged at the gunman and wrestled away the gun, throwing it over the counter. Shaw told local news stations that he moved the gunman out of the restaurant where he, "just walked away" from the scene.

Three people died at the scene an another died at the hospital as a result of the shooting at the Waffle House. Two people remain in critical condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center treated and released two people with minor injuries from the shooting, a spokesperson said.

Months before the gunman became the target of a manhunt, he was arrested for trying to breach a barrier near the White House. Authorities would later seize his guns and revoke his license to carry a gun in the state of Illinois.

Under Illinois law, certain confiscated guns can be released to a family member, but the gunman could not lawfully possess the weapons in that state. Police say the guns were given to the gunman's father who then returned them to the suspected shooter. It is unclear if the weapons were lawfully possessed in the state of Tennessee.

Among the four weapons seized from the gunman was the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle that police say he used in the Waffle House on Sunday. One of the weapons - a pistol - is missing from the gunman's apartment.

Police still have no significant leads on the location of the shooter. Investigators believe the gunman went to his apartment, located less than a mile from the Waffle House and put on a pair of pants before fleeing again. He was last seen in a wooded area near the apartment complex wearing only black pants. 

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

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