For the first time, accused Waffle House gunman Travis Reinking has broken his silence.
Reinking has been accused of murdering four people and injuring four others in a mass shooting at the Antioch, Tennessee restaurant last month.
Four people – 29-year-old Taurean Sanderlin, of Goodlettsville; 20-year-old Joe Perez, of Nashville; 21-year-old DeEbony Groves, of Gallatin; and 23-year-old Akilah DaSilva, of Antioch – were killed.
Reinking was arrested the next day after a massive manhunt, booked into the jail and then he decided he wanted to talk.
He's locked up and undergoing a mental evaluation.
In an exclusive interview, Reinking breaks his silence about his case. He called reporter Nick Beres at Scripps station WTVF from maximum security at the Davidson County Jail.
Reinking said he wanted to talk about his case, his mental health and his lawyers.
"About what I'm thinking and what I, I'd like to say on my behalf and stuff like that," Reinking said.
In the days after his arrest, Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall talked about Reinking's behavior and compared him to another accused mass shooter in the jail.
That would be Emanuel Samson, who's charged with killing one person last year at the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ, also in Antioch.
"I would use the word a little bit more normal for this one compared to the Emanuel [Samson] case, as it relates to interaction. That's probably the word that's been used the most," Hall said at the time.
Since Reinking's arrest, many have wondered if he will try using the insanity defense. When asked about his mental fitness he said, "Yeah, no… I'm perfectly healthy."
As for the shooting at the Waffle House? He wasn't ready to talk about that.
"I'd rather not in the setting I'm at right now," Reinking said.
But he did talk about his pending criminal case. Reinking has two appointed lawyers, but he said he plans to handle his own legal defense.
"That's the thing, I'm choosing to represent myself. I don't know how that works. I didn't like those attorneys," Reinking said.
He will likely address that at his next court appearance on June 1. Obviously, there were more questions to ask, but Reinking's call time expired.
Also, since Reinking talked about the case he now appears to have violated a gag order and could face a contempt charge, so, no more calls are allowed.
Reinking remains held on no bond in the Davidson County Jail.
