Waffle House shooting suspect believed he was being stalked and harassed by Taylor Swift

(Image credit: Metro Nashville Police Department via Getty Images)

published 23 April 2018

The 29-year-old man suspected of killing four people at a Waffle House in Nashville this weekend before fleeing the scene believed Taylor Swift was stalking him and had hacked his phone and Netflix account, CNN reports. Travis Reinking's parents called the police in May 2016, with the responding officer writing that "Travis stated he did not want to hurt Taylor Swift or anyone else, he only wanted the harassment to stop." A paramedic described Reinking's behavior as "delusional."

Last July, Reinking was arrested by the U.S. Secret Service due to trespassing in a restricted area near the White House and claiming he wanted to meet President Trump. His four guns were taken away by the police and given to Reinking's father, who has "acknowledged giving them back to his son," Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron said. One of the seized weapons was used in the Waffle House shooting.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox