Crime & Justice

Remembering the victims of the Waffle House shooting

The mass shooting at a Waffle House in Tennessee took the lives of four beautiful young people. Shortly after their names were released to the public, tributes started pouring in about DeEbony Groves, Joe Perez, Akilah DaSilva, and Taurean Saunderlin.

Published

7 years ago

April 23, 2018

Unheard Voices Staff

The mass shooting at a Waffle House in Tennessee took the lives of four beautiful young people.

Shortly after the names of the Waffle House shooting victims were released to the public, tributes started pouring in about DeEbony Groves, Joe Perez, Akilah DaSilva, and Taurean Saunderlin where family and friends describe their loved ones as beautiful young creatives and “extremely intelligent”.

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Waffle House shooting

The victims were shot by Travis Reinking. The 29-year-old pulled into the parking lot of the Waffle House in Antioch.

Amid the shooting, customer James Shaw Jr. was able to tackle Reinking to the ground, disarming him so that Reinking could no longer shoot. But at that time, Reinking escaped. The suspect had become the target of a manhunt and was added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s top 10 most-wanted list.

He was captured and arrested nearly 34 hours later in a wooded area within sight of the apartment he lived.

Authorities are saying Reinking might of had mental issues and long before he was the “Waffle House Killer,” Reinking had been building quite a rap sheet. Last July, the 29-year-old spoke with an officer of the Secret Service at the White House and said, with urgency, that he needed to meet with and speak with the president. He told the officer that it was his right as a “sovereign citizen,” then proceeded to enter the building. “Arrest me if you have to,” he declared.

Last August, the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office removed four firearms from Reinking’s apartment after he requested to file a report. He told officers that Taylor Swift had been stalking him and that his devices were being tapped, CNN reports. Worried about his mental state, they removed his guns and released them into the custody of his father, who police are now saying may have returned his guns to him. They reportedly only permitted him to take the guns on the condition that he would “keep the weapons secure and out of the possession of Travis.”

Reinking moved to Nashville last fall, according to the Tribune. He allegedly had no clear motive on Sunday morning, he just opened fire. Luckily James Shaw, Jr ambushed Reinking before he could kill anyone else but Tennessee, family, and friends of the victims mourn for them. Those who knew the victims remember their beautiful souls

Waffle House Shooting Victims

Taurean Sanderlin, 29

Taurean Sanderlin of Goodlettsville,TN worked as a cook at the restaurant and was killed outside of it. CEO, Walt Ehmer told reporters Sanderlin was a cook for the company for five years. He was new to the Murfreesboro Pike location, which had only been open for five months.

Joe Perez, 20

Joe Perez

Perez was killed outside, after Sanderlin. The Nashville resident’s family is in Texas. Following the shooting, Perez’s mother posted to Facebook, saying “Me, my husband and sons are broken right now with this loss. Our lives are shattered.” The Austin native was working as a subcontractor for Daryl Flood Relocation & Logistics.

Akilah DaSilva, 23

DaSilva was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he ultimately died of his injuries. His friends remember him as multi-talented, great photographer, and an aspiring musician. DaSilva had his eyes set on pursuing a career in musical engineering at Middle Tennessee State University, Shaundelle Brooks told CBS News about her son. “He had a smile that could light up a room and a laugh that would warm your heart.” He was the videographer to know in Tennessee. He was a rap artist and a music producer, widely known as one of the most prominent emerging artists. DaSilva was with his girlfriend at the Waffle House.

DeEbony Groves, 21

Groves is remembered as a “brilliant young woman.” The young woman from Gallatin, TN was recognized as a star athlete when she attended Gallatin High School. At her most recent school, Belmont University, Groves was on the dean’s list.

Her high school basketball coach Kim Kendrick said of Groves that she was a “very, very likable young lady. She was one of three seniors on her team, and she was a great role model for the other players because of her hard work and dedicated to her studies and school,” according to CBS News.

Belmont University also released a statement to WTVF-TV. “The entire campus community is shocked and devastated by how such senseless violence has taken the life of this young woman, an individual full of immense potential. We extend our thoughts and prayers to her family and friends as they come to terms with unimaginable grief. Belmont will be offering counseling and other support services to members of our campus in the coming hours and days.”

Groves was in her senior year, majoring in social work.

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Crime & Justice

Ballot boxes in multiple states set on fire

Local authorities said hundreds of ballots were affected.

Published

1 week ago

October 28, 2024

Unheard Voices Staff

Photo Credit: Portland Police Bureau

An investigation is underway after at least two ballot boxes were set on fire Monday morning in Oregon and Washington state.

Local authorities said hundreds of ballots were affected.

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Ballot boxes on set on fire

Police responded to a call about a fire in Portland about 3:30 a.m. Monday, the Portland Police Bureau said in a statement. An “incendiary device” was placed inside the box and security personnel extinguished the fire, officials said.

A second ballot box minutes away from the first was set on fire early Monday morning at a bus station in nearby Vancouver, Washington, according to the Vancouver Police Department. When officers arrived, they found a “suspicious device” next to the box, which was smoking and on fire, police said.

The box in Vancouver is in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, where one of the most competitive races in the country is taking place.

Other locations

Other fires affecting ballots have been recently reported across the country.

Last week, a mailbox outside a Phoenix post office was set on fire, damaging an unknown number of ballots. A 35-year-old man was charged with arson in that incident. The Phoenix Police Department said he told them it was not politically motivated.

Crime & Justice

GoFundMe started after pastor’s near-death experience

Glenn Germany was giving a sermon at a Pennsylvania church in May when a man tried to shoot him.

Published

3 weeks ago

October 18, 2024

Unheard Voices Staff

Pastor Glenn Germany (Photo Source: GoFundMe)

Glenn Germany was giving a sermon at a Pennsylvania church in May when a man tried to shoot him.

The gun jammed and a congregation member and the pastor were able to disarm the suspected shooter. Because of that terrifying incident, Pastor Glenn Germany has started a GoFundMe to make improvements to church security.

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Pastor Glenn Germany near-death experience

“After this experience, just about everything changed about mine and my family’s life overnight. I went from already being a busy man with 3 jobs to suddenly having even more on my plate – interviews, investigations, conferences, community repair, increased security measures – but nothing was removed from my plate,” the GoFundMe reads.

Seeking help

Germany is the pastor of Jesus Dwelling Place, a small church in East Pittsburgh located in a low income community. The congregation consists of about 70 people, around 15 children, 10 teenagers and 45 adults.

At the church, Germany wears many hats, from cutting grass, to plumbing, to preaching, to bookkeeping to engineering, even their live-streaming is done from his phone.

In addition to religious services, the church provides its primarily low and fixed-income congregants with housing advice, domestic violence and mental health awareness programs, and seminars on everything from improving health to credit scores.

To keep the church afloat, Germany and his family give more than $1,000 out of pocket every month. And now he is seeking support to keep the church safe.

“Since May 5th 2024, when that young man came into our church, from that day I had to put on a couple more hats. Prior to that day we did make my brother Pastor Gary Germany the Senior Pastor in order to take some things off my plate. But because of that incident my life has now taken on many new challenges in which I now seek support.”

To donate to the church, visit the GoFundMe.

Crime & Justice

New Jersey detective shot and killed after suspects kicked in front door of her home

Monica Mosley, a revered detective in South New Jersey, was shot and killed during a home invasion at her residence, authorities said.

Published

3 weeks ago

October 17, 2024

Unheard Voices Staff

Det. Sgt. Monica Mosley is seen in a photo released by the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office.

Monica Mosley, a revered detective in South New Jersey, was shot and killed during a home invasion at her residence, authorities said.

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New Jersey detective Monica Mosley killed

Detective Sgt. Monica Mosley, with the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, was fatally shot at her home in Bridgeton on Tuesday night, according to police.

The incident

Bridgeton Police responded to the home around 10:30 p.m. for a report of “several subjects kicking in a front door at a residence,” the Bridgeton Police Department said in a press release.

Mosley, 51, died at the scene, police said.

An individual who had been treated for a gunshot wound at a nearby hospital was detained for questioning in connection with the incident, police said. No additional information on the individual was released.

Law enforcement career

Mosley began her career in 2006 at the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office as a paralegal specialist. She then became a county detective in 2009, “where she served our community with honor, dignity and respect before her untimely passing,” Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae said in a statement.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy expressed he was “outraged and heartbroken by the murder” of Mosley.

“As a detective with the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, Sgt. Mosley served her community with distinction, working every day to ensure the safety and well-being of the people of Cumberland County,” he said in a statement. “This act of violence impacts our entire law enforcement community and all of New Jersey.”

No arrests have been made or charges filed in the case, police said.

Multiple agencies are investigating the deadly shooting, including the State Police Major Crime Bureau, the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office and the Bridgeton Police Department Criminal Investigation Bureau.