NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Atlanta, GA, April 27, 2024: Rushabh Shah, a 32-year-old Indian American, caused chaos at a Buford Drive Waffle House when he walked in around 2.30 am wielding an AR-15 rifle, terrifying staff and customers.
Eyewitnesses reported Shah pointing the weapon at a worker, asking if he “had to shoot her,” before ordering food and warning the cook “not to act strange”, reports WSB TV.
The armed intrusion sent shockwaves through the restaurant, prompting some to seek refuge and one witness to hide in a bathroom.
Gwinnett County Police officers arrived to find Shah still armed inside the Waffle House. Body camera footage captured the tense standoff as officers urged him to surrender the weapon and comply with their commands. “Sir, drop the gun! Move away from the gun! Get down on the ground!” one officer can be heard instructing Shah.
Shah was arrested without further incident, though his motives remained unclear. He claimed he needed the firearms for protection against gangs.
Another Waffle House employee near the Mall of Georgia told police he walked up to the location with a rifle just minutes earlier.
Shah faces felony charges, including aggravated assault, and is held without bond.
