Community Corner
BET Honors Waffle House Hero James Shaw Jr.
James Shaw Jr., who wrestled a gun from a shooter at an Antioch Waffle House, saving lives, received BET's Humanitarian Award Sunday.

NASHVILLE, TN -- Waffle House hero James Shaw Jr received yet another honor Sunday, as he was one of six people presented with the Humanitarian Heroes award at the BET Awards.
"James Shaw Jr., a selfless hero who wrestled an assault rifle away from a gunman who opened fire in a Nashville Waffle House, and in the aftermath of that tragedy started a GoFundMe account to raise money to help the victims," singer John Legend, who presented Shaw his award, said.
It's the second week in a row Shaw has been lauded at an awards show. Chadwick Boseman, star of the smash hit film "Black Panther," gave Shaw his trophy for Best Hero at the MTV Movie Awards last week.
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"Receiving an award for playing a superhero is amazing, but it's even greater to acknowledge the heroes that we have in real life," Boseman said. "So I just want to acknowledge somebody that's here today. James Shaw Jr. Where are you? Stand. If you don't know James Shaw Jr., he fought off a gunman in Antioch, Tennessee, at a Waffle House. He saved lives. Come on up here."
Boseman told Shaw the golden popcorn trophy was "gonna live at your house."
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Shaw has been praised in Nashville and nationwide after he grabbed the hot barrel of an AR-15 from alleged shooter Travis Reinking in the early hours of April 22.
Four people - Taurean Sanderlin, 29, Joe Perez, 20, DeEbony Groves, 21, and Akilah Dasilva, 23 - were killed in the shooting at the Waffle House.
Shaw has been feted by the Metro Council, the Tennessee General Assembly, local sports teams and on television talk shows, including on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," where he met NBA star Dwyane Wade, who told Shaw he wanted his children to look up to the 29-year-old electrician. Shaw spearheaded an effort to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the families of the victims of the shooting, as well.Shaw has been praised in Nashville and nationwide after he grabbed the hot barrel of an AR-15 from alleged shooter Travis Reinking in the early hours of April 22.
Humanitarian awards were also presented Sunday to 15-year-old Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Anthony Borges, who was shot five times but still saved at least 20 other lives during February's shooting at the Parkland, Fla., school; Mamoudou Gassama, who climbed the side of a Paris apartment building last month to save a child hanging from a balcony; 11-year-old Naomi Wadler, who spoke at the March For Our Lives; Justin Blackman, who was the only student at his high school who participated in the nationwide walkout protesting gun violence in March; and activist Shaun King.
Photo via Office of the Mayor of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County
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