Waffle House Hero James Shaw Jr. Meets Parkland Students

NASHVILLE, TN -- The people who have largely become the public faces of two recent mass shootings came together in South Florida Saturday, as Nashville Waffle House shooting hero James Shaw Jr. met with survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Fla.

Shaw, the 29-year-old electrician who, according to Metro Police, saved lives when he grabbed the hot barrel of an AR-15 wielded by alleged gunman Travis Reinking in the shooting at an Antioch Waffle House April 22, has made the rounds of talk shows, meeting NBA star Dwyane Wade on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and getting a Caribbean vacation from Steve Harvey. He's been feted everywhere from Bridgestone Arena to the Tennessee State Capitol to First Tennessee Park and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the families of the victims. And now, he's joined up with the students who have become vocal and recognizable activists for gun control after the Feb. 14 shooting that killed 14 students and three teachers.

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A week after the shooting, Emma Gonzalez tweeted that Shaw was her hero.

Saturday, Shaw paralleled the praise.

In response to a tweet from Parkland student David Hogg, who said "young people will win," Shaw tweeted encouragement to "keep inspiring and bringing people together."

Warner Bros. Studio Photo by Michael Rozman/Warner Bros.