Dying young: 4 gunned down in Nashville were in their 20s
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The four dead victims of the Waffle House shooting Sunday in Nashville were all in their 20s. They included a college student, an aspiring rapper and music producer, and a restaurant employee.
Here is a look at their lives:
23, of Antioch, was killed inside the restaurant. He was a rap artist and music video producer who had such skills behind the camera that he was a favorite among many of Music City’s independent musicians and recording labels, The Tennessean reported.
“Music is my life and I will never stop until I achieve my dreams,” Dasilva said on his Twitter account.
His family has created a GoFundMe page to pay for his funeral. His stage name was Natrix, and he was one of six siblings, according to the GoFundMe message. He was a student at Middle Tennessee State University and aspired to be a music engineer.
The message said he was a loving son, a selfless friend, and a “beacon of hope, love, and strength in his family.”
Dasilva was at the restaurant with his girlfriend, Tia Waggoner, The Tennessean reported. Waggoner, 21, was wounded and is being treated at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dasilva’s family said she underwent surgery and doctors were trying to save her leg.
21, was a senior at Nashville’s Belmont University. She was remembered as an exceptional student and tenacious basketball player.
“She was a brilliant young lady, very, very intelligent and a very hard worker,” Gallatin High School basketball coach Kim Kendrick told The Tennessean.
“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,” the statement said. 20, of Nashville, was fatally shot in the park- ing lot of the restaurant.
Perez’s mother posted a photo of her son on Facebook and asked for prayers, saying it was the hardest day of her life.
“Me, my husband and sons are broken right now with this loss,” Trisha Perez said in the post. “Our lives are shattered.”
29, of Goodlettsville, was killed in the parking lot. He worked at the restaurant.
The injured
Four people were injured, including Sharita Henderson, of Antioch, who is being treated at VUMC, and Waggoner. She is also being treated at the hospital.
29, of Nashville, is the restaurant patron who burned his hand grabbing the hot muzzle of the assault weapon as he wrestled the gun away from the shooter. Shaw works as a wireless technician for AT&T and said he was no hero — despite being hailed as one by Nashville Mayor David Briley and many others.