EP184: Waffle House Massacre: The Taylor Swift-Obsessed Shooter
From Psychopedia by Investigator Slater
May 20, 2026 · 1h 0m · Episode 184
About this episode
The episode discusses the Waffle House massacre committed by Travis Reinking, exploring the intersection of mental illness and gun access.
On April 22, 2018, a partially naked young man named Travis Reinking opened fire with an AR-15 rifle at a Waffle House in Antioch, Tennessee, killing four innocent people and injuring others. He had a documented history of erratic behavior, including delusions that Taylor Swift was stalking him, as well as a 2017 arrest in Washington, D.C., after attempting to breach White House security. That incident led to his arrest and the confiscation of his firearms, weapons that were later returned to his father and ultimately given back to him. This devastating case is not just about the horror of that night, but about the warning signs that preceded it, and the dangerous intersection of mental illness, access to assault-style weapons, and systemic failure. FOLLOW AND SUBSCRIBE to Psychopedia wherever you are listening! FOLLOW Investigator Slater on Instagram + TikTok: @investigatorslater Join our Patreon family! (www.Patreon.com/PsychopediaPod) On Patreon, you get AD FREE episodes, exclusive true crime content, behind-the-scenes pics/vids, private group chats, and much more! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy…
People in this episode
Host: Investigator Slater
Topics covered
- mass shooting
- mental illness
- gun control
- true crime
- systemic failure
- Taylor Swift
Keywords
- Waffle House
- Travis Reinking
- mass shooting
- mental illness
- gun control
- Taylor Swift
- true crime
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Waffle House
Places: Antioch, Tennessee
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