News Story

Heroes in horror: Mass shootings across America create a celebrity culture around victims

When James Shaw Jr. lunged for a crazed gunman, wrestling an AR-15-style rifle from the man's hands and tossing it behind the counter at a terrorized Waffle House, he unexpectedly launched himself into a role he never could have imagined.

Within hours, Shaw Jr. was being heralded as a hero for his bravery.