'I'm gonna fight for him': Nashville Waffle House victims' families pursue gun laws, lawsuits

Life changed a year ago for Trisha Perez.

Her son Joe Perez was one of four people killed on April 22, 2018, in a torrent of gunfire at a Waffle House on Murfreesboro Pike.

The tragedy gripped the city and the nation. And it left Trisha Perez with a cause she didn't ask for.

Mass shootings, once seen as overwhelming and implacable, have become personal.

Joe Perez, 20, was one of the four people killed in the Waffle House shooting April 22, 2018.

She started researching gun laws during her lunch breaks. Fighting for a change that might prevent the next mass shooting is her tribute to Joe Perez, who was only 20 when he died.

She traveled to Illinois, where she is suing to hold the shooting suspect's father accountable for allowing his son to have guns. She reached out to political leaders, urging them to pass stricter gun control measures.

And she says she won't stop.

“My son was a fighter for everything that he did,” she said. “Now I’m gonna fight my best for him.

“He deserves that.”

The tragedy's impact continues to reverberate

A year later, the impact of the Waffle House shooting continues to ripple outward, for the families and friends of the victims and for the community.

Family members of Akilah Dasilva, who also died in the shooting, have become vocal advocates against gun violence.

Akilah Dasilva, 21, was a rap artist and music video producer. He was killed in the Waffle House shooting April 22, 2018.

In January, they joined mass shooting survivor and former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Washington, D.C., where they spent three days lobbying for federal gun control.

The Dasilvas recently went to Nashville’s Juvenile Detention Center to talk to the youth about gun violence. They shared personal stories, illustrating how it affects the victims and the aftermath faced by the families.

They visited a criminal justice class at Cane Ridge High School, where Akilah Dasilva once went to school, sharing statistics about guns and talking about thelegislation going through the Tennessee General Assembly that would allow teachers to carry guns

Soon, they will launch the Akilah Dasilva Foundation, offering college scholarships to students, beginning with those at Cane Ridge. Eventually, they want to help students learn about audio engineering and videography.

“That’s a lot of what my brother put himself into,” Akilah Dasilva's brother Abede Dasilva said. “And we will still push out the gun violence. A lot of these kids are out here doing these things when they don’t have nothing to do in their spare time. We want to give them opportunities to find stuff to do.”

James Shaw Jr., the man credited with stopping the shooting when he wrestled the AR-15 style rifle away from the gunman, has become a national celebrity. He has appeared on talk shows and was recently honored with an award for courage from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Shaw launched his own foundation, which he said would address mental and social health issues. 

Legal issues could linger for years

The shooting resulted in a web of legal issues in criminal and civil courts in two states. Resolutions in those cases could be years away.

Shooting suspect Travis Reinking, 30, remains in jail awaiting a trial on first-degree murder and other charges. No trial date has been set.

An expert testified that Reinking has schizophrenia, and he was briefly committed before proceedings in the case could continue.

Authorities in Illinois accused Reinking's father, Jeffrey Reinking, 55, of illegally giving his son the gun used in the Waffle House shooting.

Illinois state law forbids people from selling or giving guns to anyone who has "been a patient in a mental institution within the past five years."

DeEbony Groves, who graduated from Gallatin High and attended Belmont University, was killed in the Waffle House shooting April 22, 2018.

Illinois prosecutors said Travis Reinking previously had been treated at the mental health unit of Methodist Medical Center of Illinois. Even so, they said, Jeffrey Reinking handed guns over to his son upon request.

Jeffrey Reinking was charged with unlawful delivery of a firearm. His attorneys say he returned guns that already belonged to his son, and he did not break the law.

The families suing Jeffrey Reinking in civil court say he should be held responsible for giving weapons to his son.

The Dasilvas have suits pending against both men in federal and state courts. The Perez family sued Jeffrey Reinking in Illinois. Victim DeEbony Groves' mother filed suit against Travis and Jeffrey Reinking in Tennessee. 

In Tennessee, lawmakers willing to limit some gun access

Tennessee lawmakers have shown broad support for legislation to block people from giving guns to someone who "has been judicially committed to a mental institution or adjudicated as a mental defective."

The bill, HB 0754, passed in the House this month by a 93-2 margin. Some lawmakers were surprised by the bipartisan support.

Bill sponsor Rep. Robin Smith, R-Hixson, said the Waffle House shooting illustrated the need for such a law.

"The events in Nashville were one very real example that exposed the loophole that existed," Smith wrote in an email. "The law, as it's currently written, will only punish the transfer of a firearm to a patient if committed to a hospital. We're working to close that loophole as a common sense solution."

A powerful Senate committee is scheduled to consider the bill Tuesday.

'Every day I question why it happened'

Taurean Sanderlin, 29, a cook at the Waffle House for five years, was killed in the shooting April 22, 2018.

The victims were all in their 20s.

Groves, 21, a star basketball player in high school, was in her senior year at Belmont University, on the verge of pursuing a career in social work.

Taurean Sanderlin, 29, was a cook at Waffle House for five years. Known by his friends as "T," he loved to cook and watch football. 

Joe Perez, 20, had just moved to Nashville from Texas to work at his brother's appliance moving business. 

Akilah Dasilva, 21, was a rap artist and music video producer who performed under the name "Natrix Dream." His skill behind the camera made him one of the go-to videographers for many of the city's emerging independent musicians and labels.

The days since his brother’s death haven’t gotten easier for Abede Dasilva.

"Every day I question why it happened," he said. "And I don't know why."

Abede Dasilva was one of the survivors. He was with his brother in the early hours of Sunday morning when the gunman entered the restaurant. He survived behind a locked bathroom door. 

“I just hope that my brother losing his life can at least leave a big impact and make a change that he wanted," he said. "That’s all I hope for.”

Reach Adam Tamburin at atamburin@tennessean.com or 615-726-5986 and on Twitter @tamburintweets.

Reach Anita Wadhwani at awadhwani@tennessean.com or 615-259-8092 and on Twitter @AnitaWadhwani.

Candlelight vigil to honor Waffle House victims

When: 6-8 p.m. April 22

Where: Southeast Center, 5260 Hickory Hollow Parkway #202, Antioch

Details: Organizers are asking attendees to wear light blue clothing.