Twitter
Advertisement

Here is what we know about Travis Reinking, 'nude gunman' who killed 4 in Nashville Waffle House shooting

Police on Monday arrested Travis Reinking, the man suspected of killing four people at a Waffle House restaurant in Nashville after a 36-hour manhunt.

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

Police on Monday arrested Travis Reinking, the man suspected of killing four people at a Waffle House restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee, after a 36-hour manhunt.

Travis Reinking was arrested from secluded woods near the restaurant after tips from the public. 

Photos posted online by Nashville police showed Reinking in custody. He was suspected of opening fire with an assault rifle at the restaurant early Sunday then fleeing the scene naked. 

Photographed in the back of a police car, he looked dishevelled and was wearing a torn red shirt and dirty blue jeans. He had scratches on his shoulder.He was being held at a Nashville jail with initial bond set at $500,000 for each of four murder charges, online jail records showed.

No motive was known for the attack that sent shudders through one of the biggest cities in the US South and stoked a simmering national debate on gun control. In addition to the four deaths, two people were injured in the attack.

Here is what we know about Travis Reinking, the 'nude gunman' of Waffle House shooting: 

Travis Reinking is 29-year-old works as a construction worker.

Reinking lived in Illinois before moving to Nashville. 

He has had a history of bizarre behaviour, delusions and multiple encounters with authorities, including an episode in Washington in July 2017 when he was arrested for trying to get into the White House, according to police records.

After the White House incident, Illinois authorities revoked his license to carry concealed weapons.

After that, Reinking's father had told police he would lock up his son's guns, which they said included the rifle used in the Waffle House shooting. But the father returned the weapons to his son, Nashville police said on Sunday.

Reinking is accused of shooting two people to death outside the restaurant around 3:30 am on Sunday, and killing two inside. The suspect fled after a 29-year-old diner, James Shaw Jr., wrestled the rifle from him. 

How Reinking was arrested

More than 150 city, state and local law enforcement agents searched for Reinking after he was suspected of opening fire with an assault rifle at the restaurant early Sunday then fleeing the scene naked.

Tips from people in the neighbourhood helped lead police to search through the woods about two miles (3 km) from the restaurant using sniffer dogs on the ground and aircraft overhead.

Metropolitan Nashville police Lieutenant Carlos Lara said as soon as a detective saw Reinking and ordered him to get on the ground, the suspect cooperated. 

"He did not try to run," Lara said at the same news conference.

Reinking had a pistol and ammunition in a backpack when he was arrested.

The suspect was taken to a hospital for evaluation before he was booked by police.

(With Reuters inputs) 

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement