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Waffle House hero raises nearly a quarter of a million dollars for victims’ families in two weeks

James Shaw Jr., the man known nationally as the “Waffle House hero,” has raised more than $230,000 for the families of the four people killed in a mass shooting at the Nashville-area restaurant.

Shaw, 29, is credited with saving lives when he wrestled a rifle from the hands of the gunman. He started a crowdsourcing fund on GoFundMe with the original goal of raising $15,000.

Shaw said in a statement that the fundraiser will close on Sunday, according to The New York Times.

{mosads}“To the thousands of people who have expressed their care, prayers and made financial donations, I can only respond by saying, ‘Thank you,’” he said in the statement. “[This] has been a heartwarming reminder of what is possible when we come together to care for one another.”

A fundraiser for Shaw, started by reporter Yashar Ali, has raised more than $219,000.

Shaw said Saturday that he has not heard from the White House, several days after press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the White House had reached out to Shaw to arrange a meeting between him and President Trump.

The alleged shooter, 29-year-old Travis Reinking, has been charged on several counts, including criminal homicide.

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