Shaw is known for disarming a gunman armed with a Bushmaster XM-15 during the 2018 Nashville Waffle House shooting in Antioch, Tennessee, potentially saving lives as a result.
[6] On April 22, 2018, Shaw and his friend BJ McMurry went to the Waffle House on the Murfreesboro Pike in the Nashville suburb of Antioch at 3 a.m. CDT.
[7] While four people died in the attack (Akilah DaSilva, DeEbony Groves, Joe Perez and Taurean Sanderlin), it is likely that Shaw's action saved the lives of more restaurant patrons.
[8] While he has been described as a hero by numerous people, including Tennessee authorities, he has said that he does not think of himself in those terms:[1][9] I did that completely out of a selfish act.
[11][12] He appeared on national cable TV news shows and was honored at a game featuring the Nashville Predators.
[10] Shaw appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show where he met NBA basketball star Dwyane Wade.
In May 2018, Shaw met with X González, who survived the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and anti-gun activist who helped to found Never Again MSD.
Together, along with survivors and activists David Hogg, Alex Wind, and Jaclyn Corin among others, the whole group united for a special brunch at a local Denny's in suburban Nashville.
[15] Shaw was presented a Gold Vail Award by Randall L. Stephenson, the Chief Executive Officer of AT&T.