At an impromptu press conference on Wednesday, April 25, country star Brantley Gilbert announced plans to give back to the Nashville community following the mass shooting that took place in a Waffle House on Sunday (April 23). During the massacre, a gunman claimed the lives of four people before 29-year-old customer James Shaw Jr. wrestled the gun away from the shooter, causing him to flee the scene. Shaw has since been heralded as a hero, and he also subsequently organized a GoFundMe page to assist victims of the shooting, which quickly met its $15,000 goal. When Gilbert heard Shaw’s story, he felt compelled to get involved: “When you see someone like James, who just jumped up and did what he did — and you think about the lives he saved, you realize what a special kind of guy he is,” the country singer said in a press release. Gilbert and his manager created a special design for T-shirts that read “I Believe in Heroism,” which will be sold at Gilbert’s May 4 performance. Joining Gilbert at the press conference was rock group Dashboard Confessional’s frontman Chris Carrabba, who also pledged to sell the T-shirts at his May 11 appearance at the Ryman auditorium.
Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com
