AUSTIN — A 20-year-old man who was killed in a shooting near a Nashville, Tennessee Waffle House early Sunday morning was from Central Texas, according to police.
Joe Perez, 20, had family in the Austin-area, a spokesperson with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department told KVUE Monday morning.
20-year-old victim in Waffle House shooting was from Austin
Perez was among three other people who were shot and killed by a 29-year-old man at a Waffle House in Antioch, a neighborhood about 25 minutes southeast of Nashville.
In a Facebook post written Sunday afternoon, Perez's mother, Trisha, asked for prayers, according to The Associated Press.
"Please say a prayer for my family for today is the hardest day of my life. Me, my husband, and sons are broken right now with this loss. Our lives are shattered," Trisha wrote.
Please say a prayer for my family for today is the hardest day of my life. Me , my husband and sons are broken right now with this loss. Our lives are shattered.
A friend confirmed to KVUE the Facebook profile belonged to Perez. The Facebook profile shows he lived in the Austin-area before moving to Nashville.
A spokesperson for Hays Consolidated Independent School District told KVUE Perez attended Lehman High School his freshman year and Jack Hays High School his sophomore year, but he left the district halfway through sophomore year. Hays CISD released the following statement Monday:
Hays CISD was saddened to learn Monday that a former student was one of the victims of the terrible shooting incident at a Nashville, Tennessee, Waffle House restaurant. The district joins the family and
friends of Joe R. Perez in mourning his death.
Joe was a pre-K student in Hays CISD and attended school in the district until his sophomore year. He was a student at Lehman High School his freshman year and a student at Hays High School his
sophomore year. Additionally, he was a student at Hemphill, Tobias, and Science Hall Elementary Schools, as well as Wallace Middle School.
Anytime a senseless act of violence occurs, it affects us all. The closer we are to the tragedy, the more we appreciate how precious life is. This most recent shooting happened some 900 miles away, but with
the news that one of our own school district family members was affected; it may as well have happened on our front doorstep. We will keep the Perez family in our thoughts and prayers.
Another friend told KVUE Perez moved to Tennessee with his older brother and his brother's family, where he installed and delivered appliances.
"Everyone loved him. His sense of humor was amazing, and his smile was something to remember forever," the friend said.
Taurean C. Sanderlin, 29; Deebony Groves, 21; and Akilah Dasilva, 23, were also killed in the shooting. Shanita Waggoner, 21, and Sharita Henderson, 24, remained hospitalized.
RELATED:
A GoFundMe page was started by Perez's mother to help the family with expenses related to the tragic incident: