Brantley Gilbert Meets With Waffle House Shooting Hero to Establish Benefit
Brantley Gilbert was one of many in the Nashville community who was stunned by Sunday (April 22)'s shooting at a local Waffle House that left four dead. The singer, however, was moved to meet with the man who managed to wrestle the gun away from the shooter— a man he says is a hero.
James Shaw Jr., 29, has said repeatedly that he doesn't feel like a hero, and that he "just wanted to live" when he wrestled the gun away from the shooter (and was injured himself in the process).
But Gilbert sees it differently. He, along with indie rocker Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional, met with Shaw Wednesday (April 25) at a Nashville rehearsal hall, and came up with an idea to sell special T-shirts as a benefit outreach. The shirts feature the slogan "I Believe in Heroism," plus an image of Shaw's bandaged hand, which was burned when he pulled the gun from the shooter. They will be sold at Glibert and Carrabba's upcoming concerts in May and direct funds to the victims' families, as well as Shaw himself. Those who can't make it to a show can visit here to buy a shirt or donate what they are able.
“Bad people do bad things,” Gilbert says. “But good people can do great things. Talking to James before we got up here, he said he’s not a superhero, he’s just a regular person. But I think there has to be some hero inside, that’s where that kind of bravery comes from.”
“When you see someone like James, who just jumped up and did what he did — and you think about the lives he saved, you realize what a special kind of guy he is,” he adds.
“When it’s not about me, that’s when I’m happiest,” Gilbert explains. “More than that, when it’s about somebody who was brave, and we can honor them a little, that’s when it’s really good."
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