TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP) — A suspect in a deadly shooting at an Idaho fast-food restaurant died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police reported Sunday. An off-duty officer and a civilian are credited with drawing the shooter’s attention away by returning fire.
Police Chief Matthew Hicks stated at a news conference that investigators believe the shooter, identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams, acted alone during the incident on Saturday in Twin Falls.
The shooting, which occurred at a newly opened restaurant in the southern Idaho city with a population of about 56,000, resulted in three fatalities and seven injuries. On Sunday, authorities noted that two of the injured were treated and released from the hospital, while three remained stable and two were in critical condition.
Hicks mentioned that an off-duty state trooper and an armed civilian — whose names were not immediately released — both fired at the suspect, prompting him to flee the restaurant.
“We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties,” Hicks explained. “We commend the off-duty officer and the civilian for their heroic actions in stopping this incident.”
Detectives are investigating Williams’ motives, and his family is fully cooperating with law enforcement, Hicks added.
He also cautioned against misinformation spreading online, identifying a different man as the shooter, asserting that the individual had “no involvement in this incident whatsoever.”
In-N-Out worker among the victims
One of the victims was an employee, the fast-food chain’s owner revealed.
“My heart is broken, my chest is heavy, my eyes burn from the tears I’ve shed. We lost one of our beautiful Associates tonight,” In-N-Out owner Lynsi Snyder expressed in a statement released early Sunday on social media. “In-N-Out will be mourning with the families and praying for them as they tread through a very painful season.”
The FBI urged the public on Sunday to submit any images and videos related to the shooting in Twin Falls, which left seven others wounded, some critically.
The In-N-Out location had opened just a week earlier, on July 24, as part of the California-based company’s expansion into Idaho.
Snyder did not name the worker. Officials are still notifying relatives of the victims and have not yet released the names, ages, or other details about those injured, according to Twin Falls spokesperson Josh Palmer.
Police responding to the shooting discovered the suspect’s body near the restaurant, Palmer said.
Palmer mentioned that investigators are interviewing witnesses. The restaurant is located in a busy shopping area, and hundreds of people were present when the shooting occurred around 2 p.m.
Witnesses describe chaotic scene
Lane Koehn, 34, recounted being at a stoplight near the In-N-Out when he saw an individual with an AR-style rifle emerge from the drive-thru. A man with a pistol began shooting at the suspect.
He then observed someone in an In-N-Out uniform dragging a person, also in uniform, who was bleeding from a chest wound across the parking lot. Koehn, the employee, and the man with the pistol stayed with her until paramedics arrived.
“She was pretty bad off, but I don’t know. I hope she made it,” Koehn remarked.
Koehn noted that the shooter fired at least three or four rounds, but it was unclear if any specific individuals were targeted.
A video taken by a driver from across the street captured the shooter, apparently dressed in black, approaching a white car with a long rifle, opening the driver-side door, and accessing the trunk. The driver who recorded the footage left quickly, fearing the individual might retrieve more weapons.
Twin Falls resident Haley Dodaro, 43, and her mother were at the In-N-Out for lunch on Saturday afternoon. While waiting in the drive-thru, they saw people running and workers fleeing the restaurant. Initially, Dodaro thought there might be a fire, but a man in a reflective vest directing traffic informed them of the shooter.
“So that’s when we knew there was a shooting. People were running out crying and screaming. It was very scary,” Dodaro conveyed in a text message to The Associated Press.
Employee told people to get down
Nayeli Rodriguez, 40, from Burley, was inside waiting for food with her daughters when she heard gunshots from the kitchen. An employee announced it was a shooting and instructed everyone to get down. Rodriguez recounted how an older man attempted to protect her and her daughters, and they were among the last to leave the building.
“We were trying to get as far as we could and some angels let us in their car,” Rodriguez shared via text message. “I left my car there in the parking lot.”
Twin Falls is located approximately 130 miles (205 kilometers) southeast of Boise and about 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of the Nevada border.
