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Waffle House Hero Ambushed Killer And Wrestled Away Rifle

PHILADELPHIA (CBS/CNN) -- Early Sunday morning, a gunman entered a Waffle House in a Nashville suburb and began shooting at those inside.

While police would arrive on the scene, investigate, and learn that the suspected shooter is 29-year-old Travis Reinking -- there was a hero in the store that prevented more damage being done to patrons and workers.

James Shaw Jr. bolted toward the restrooms once he heard the gunshots. But he didn't lose sight of the gunman.

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And the moment the shooter paused, police said, Shaw decided to rush him.

That heroic act by a customer saved countless lives at a Nashville-area Waffle House, where a seminude gunman killed four people early Sunday morning.

"He saw the gunman looking at his rifle. At that point, the shots had stopped," Metro Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said.

"So he decided to rush the gunman, actually wrestled that assault rifle away, tossed it over the counter. At that point, the gunman then fled."

Shaw suffered minor injuries in the melee, including cuts and an injured elbow.

"He is the hero here, and no doubt he saved many lives by wrestling the gun away and then tossing it over the counter and prompting the (gun)man to leave," the police spokesman said.

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Witness Chuck Cordero saw everything unfold from outside the Waffle House's famously wide windows.

As he ran away, "I looked back and there was a gentleman wrestling with the gunman," Cordero told CNN affiliate WSMV.

"He was a hero ... had that guy had a chance to reload his weapon, there was plenty more people in that restaurant."

Following the incident, Nashville's Mayor David Briley has released a statement via Twitter expressing his sorrow surrounding the crime.

He asks that the city "pray for and rally around these victims".

Altogether, 4 people were killed in the shooting.

2 people remain in the hospital with injuries.

Police believe Reinking is now walking around naked and could be carrying an AR-15 rifle.

He has not been apprehended yet.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. CNN contributed to this report.)

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