[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 24, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H3495-H3496]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1930
     HONORING THE VICTIMS OF THE WAFFLE HOUSE SHOOTING IN TENNESSEE

  (Mr. COOPER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the victims of a 
deadly mass shooting at a Waffle House in Antioch, Tennessee, early on 
the morning of Sunday, April 22.
  Four young, promising lives were lost: Joe R. Perez, DeEbony Groves, 
Taurean C. Sanderlin, and Akilah DaSilva. They crossed paths at the 
restaurant expecting nothing more than good food. Now four young lives 
are lost, and we mourn with their families and friends.
  I would also like to recognize Mr. James Shaw, Jr., a native 
Nashvillian and an American hero. Mr. Shaw bravely stopped this attack 
from being even worse. His courageous and decisive action saved many 
lives. Now, Mr. Shaw doesn't consider himself a hero, but his actions 
clearly prove that he is a hero. He gave us hope on one of our darkest 
days.
  We are heartbroken for the tragic loss of life, but we are heartened 
and proud of our hometown hero. May we remember Mr. Shaw's words:

       I hope that we can bring violence to an end in all facets, 
     not just gun violence, but all violence.

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the victims of a deadly mass 
shooting at a Waffle House in Antioch, Tennessee, on the morning of 
Sunday, April 22.
  Four young, promising lives were lost, and two other people were 
injured. Today we mourn Joe R. Perez, 20 years old, who moved to 
Nashville to live with his grandmother and work at his brother's 
business; DeEbony Groves, 21, a senior at Belmont University who was 
weeks from earning a degree in social work; Taurean C. Sanderlin, 29, a 
Waffle House employee who was outside on a break; and Akilah DaSilva, 
23, a student and aspiring musician. They crossed paths at the Waffle 
House, expecting nothing more than good food. Now, four young lives are 
lost. We mourn with their families, friends, and the Antioch community.

[[Page H3496]]

  I would also like to recognize Mr. James Shaw, Jr. a native 
Nashvillian and an American hero. Mr. Shaw bravely stopped this attack 
from being even worse. His courageous and decisive actions saved many 
lives. In Mr. Shaw's own words, he ``saw an opportunity and took it.''
  Later Sunday morning, after receiving treatment for his own injuries, 
Mr. Shaw went home to see his family. He is a loving father to his 4-
year-old daughter, Brooklyn. He then went to the church he has attended 
since he was a baby. Mr. Shaw's greatest concern is for the other 
victims, and he has organized a fund to support them.
  Mr. Shaw doesn't consider himself a hero, but his actions clearly 
prove otherwise. Mr. Shaw gave us hope on one of Nashville's darkest 
days, and he embodies the very best of our community. We are forever 
grateful for his bravery and his willingness to put his own life at 
risk in order to save others.
  We are both heartbroken for the tragic loss of lives but proud of our 
hometown hero. This tragedy will not define our city. We are grateful 
to people all across America who have supported our community with 
prayers and financial support.
  May we all remember Mr. Shaw's words: ``I hope we can bring violence 
in all facets--not just gun violence, but all facets of violence--to an 
end.''

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