A community-led candlelight vigil is scheduled for Tuesday night at Twin Falls City Park to honor the victims of Saturday’s mass shooting at an In-N-Out Burger location that left three people dead and seven others injured.
The assailant, identified by authorities as 24-year-old Chad Williams, took his own life following a violent confrontation at the restaurant on August 1, 2026. Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks confirmed during a Sunday news conference that Williams died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after an off-duty state trooper and a civilian carrying a firearm engaged him and forced him to retreat from the busy shopping plaza on Blue Lakes Boulevard.
Law enforcement officials said they are certain Williams operated without accomplices. Investigators have not yet determined why he carried out the assault, though Hicks noted that relatives of the shooter are providing full cooperation. Emergency calls began flooding in at 2:29 p.m. on Saturday, with dispatchers hearing screams and the sound of gunfire through 911 lines.
Armed Bystanders Intervene
Jordan Salinas, a 35-year-old resident of Kimberly, Idaho, was identified as the armed civilian who exchanged gunfire with Williams. Salinas described the confrontation to the Idaho Statesman, saying Williams “did not like it when bullets started firing both ways.” Hicks praised both Salinas and the state trooper for their bravery, crediting them with preventing additional deaths.
Another bystander, Austin James, rushed toward the gunman but chose not to draw his own weapon, fearing police would confuse him with the shooter, his father Marcus James told CBS News. Austin James sustained life-threatening wounds during a face-to-face encounter with Williams. Two emergency room nurses who were with him—his wife and a friend—administered urgent care before paramedics arrived and transported him to a medical facility.
Braxton Stuebe, who was employed at a Dick’s Sporting Goods in the same shopping center, recounted how terrified customers rushed into the store after a woman yelled that a gunman was outside. Stuebe and a colleague exited through a rear entrance and came face-to-face with Williams, who aimed a weapon directly at Stuebe. Raising his hands, Stuebe begged for his life, telling the shooter he had a family. Williams became visibly upset, Stuebe said, and ordered him to leave. After Stuebe moved away, Williams fired a round that barely missed him.
Restaurant Worker Killed
Among those who died was an In-N-Out employee who was serving customers when the violence erupted. Lynsi Snyder, president of the burger chain, released a statement early Sunday expressing grief over losing an associate and pledging to stand with the families of all victims. Names of the deceased and wounded had not been made public as of Sunday, with officials still working to notify next of kin.
The location had been open for roughly one week, having welcomed its first customers on July 24 as part of the California-based company’s expansion into Idaho. Sunday reports indicated that two of the seven injured individuals had been discharged from hospitals, three were listed in stable condition, and two remained in critical condition.
Terry Dudley was among the wounded, struck twice while charging an electric vehicle in the parking lot. His son Michael Dudley told ABC News that his father contacted 911 and a friend before being flown by helicopter to a Boise hospital.
Chaos Unfolds in Crowded Plaza
Hundreds of shoppers were in the retail complex when gunfire erupted just after 2 p.m. local time. Lane Koehn, 34, said he was sitting at a traffic signal when he witnessed someone carrying an AR-style rifle exit the drive-thru lane while a man armed with a pistol fired at the individual. Koehn saw a uniformed restaurant worker pull a bleeding colleague, who had suffered a chest wound, across the lot and stayed with her until medical personnel arrived. He observed Williams discharging numerous rounds and could not tell whether specific individuals were being targeted.
Footage captured by a motorist on the opposite side of the street depicted a figure dressed in black approaching a white vehicle while carrying a rifle, yanking open the driver’s door, popping the trunk, and reaching inside. The person filming drove away, worried the individual was accessing additional weapons.
Haley Dodaro, 43, a Twin Falls resident, was in the drive-thru line with her mother when employees fled the building and a man wearing a reflective vest alerted them to the shooter. People were “running out crying and screaming,” Dodaro wrote in a text message. Nayeli Rodriguez, 40, from Burley, was inside the restaurant with her daughters when shots rang out from the kitchen area and a staff member shouted for everyone to get down. An elderly man attempted to protect Rodriguez’s family, and strangers eventually allowed them into a vehicle to escape.
Several victims were transported to St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center. The FBI established a digital media tipline requesting photos and video from the public. Hicks warned against the spread of false information, pointing out that an innocent person had been wrongly identified online as the attacker. Regarding Williams’ family members, Hicks said their hearts were broken, too. Hicks described the situation officers encountered as among the most chaotic they face in their careers.
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