James Shaw Jr.


James Shaw Jr. is an American electrical technician. Shaw is known for disarming a gunman armed with an AR-15 style rifle during the Nashville Waffle House shooting in Antioch, Tennessee and saving lives as a result.

Early life and education

James Shaw Jr. was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. He attended Hunters Lane High School. Shaw graduated from Tennessee State University with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He later studied online at Brightwood College and earned an Electrical Technician diploma. He has a daughter.

Career

Shaw began working in the electrical field at the age of 18. In an interview, Shaw stated that "... I've been destroying stuff and putting it back together since I was a little kid. I would take stuff apart and just hope I could reassemble it." He began working at AT&T as a wire technician after graduating from Tennessee State University. At AT&T, Shaw installs internet, television, and phone connections in residences. He also manages his own company, Imount Electric.

Nashville Waffle House shooting

When the shooting started, he ran to the bathroom—a bullet grazed his elbow and he realized there was no exit—so when he saw the gunman point the rifle down, perhaps to reload or fix a jam, he lunged and wrestled the weapon away from him. The gunman was captured by police a few days later. While four people died in the attack, it is likely that Shaw's action saved the lives of more restaurant patrons. Afterwards, Shaw established a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the families of the four victims. Total donations raised by Shaw surpassed in early May 2018. While he has been described as a hero by numerous people, including Tennessee authorities, he has said that he does not think of himself in those terms:

Awards and honors

Shaw was honored by the president of Tennessee State University who praised Shaw for his "bravery and courage" and for saving many lives. He was honored by Tennessee lawmakers who passed a joint resolution honoring Shaw's actions. He appeared on national cable TV news shows and was honored at a game featuring the Nashville Predators. Shaw appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show where he met NBA basketball star Dwyane Wade. The Steve Harvey Show sent him on a trip to the island of Barbados. In May 2018, Shaw met with Emma González, a survivor of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and anti-gun activist who helped to found Never Again MSD. Tennessee State University is setting up a scholarship fund in his name. At the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards, after Chadwick Boseman won an award for "Best Superhero" for his work in Black Panther, he called Shaw up to the stage and gave him the award. Shaw was presented a Gold Vail Award by Randall L. Stephenson, the Chief Executive Officer of AT&T. In 2018, he was received a BET Humanitarian Award.
Shaw participated in the 2019 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game in Charlotte, North Carolina as an inaugural "Hometown Hero", scoring 8 points with 5 rebounds and posting the game's highest plus-minus with a +15.
Shaw expressed interest in running in the 2019 Nashville mayoral election. He was awarded the Special Courage Award from the United States Department of Justice in April 2019.