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AFP
Chicago
The 29-year-old man who confronted and stopped a gunman during a rampage at a Tennessee restaurant was hailed Tuesday as a hero by the US state's legislature.
James Shaw Jr singlehandedly wrestled away the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle from the hands of Travis Reinking -- a fellow 29-year-old with a history of mental illness -- as he was allegedly reloading in the middle of a shooting rampage in the early morning hours Sunday.
Four people were killed and two others wounded at the Waffle House restaurant in the city of Nashville, America's country music capital.
But Shaw has been credited with saving many more lives. He suffered a graze wound from a bullet and burns on his right hand from grabbing the hot barrel of the gun.
He has already been called a hero by the survivors of the Sunday shooting and their family members, as well as by many in the media.
Shaw repeatedly has rejected the label, saying he acted for reasons of self-preservation.
