A 24-year-old gunman took his own life after killing three people and wounding seven others during an attack on an In-N-Out Burger location in Twin Falls, Idaho, authorities announced on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. The shooter, identified as Chad Williams, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after being confronted by an off-duty state trooper and an armed bystander who forced him to retreat, according to Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks.
The violence erupted just after 2 p.m. local time on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, at a busy shopping plaza on Blue Lakes Boulevard. Police received reports of shots fired at 2:29 p.m., and dispatchers monitoring 911 calls could hear screaming and gunshots echoing in the background.
Investigators believe Williams operated without accomplices, Hicks said, though they have not determined what prompted the assault. The shooter’s family members are providing full cooperation to authorities, the chief added.
Bystanders Return Fire, Drive Attacker Away
Two armed individuals engaged Williams during the rampage, a response police credited with preventing additional deaths. Jordan Salinas, a 35-year-old resident of Kimberly, Idaho, was among those who fired back at the gunman. Salinas told the Idaho Statesman that Williams “did not like it when bullets started firing both ways.”
During a news conference Sunday, Hicks praised the trooper and Salinas as heroes whose intervention kept the casualty count from climbing higher. The chief characterized what officers encountered as among the most chaotic scenes law enforcement faces in their professional lives.
Austin James rushed toward the shooter in an attempt to stop him but chose not to draw his own weapon, fearing police arriving on scene would confuse him with the attacker, his father, Marcus James, told CBS News. Austin James sustained critical injuries after directly confronting Williams. His wife and a friend, both working as emergency room nurses, administered medical treatment at the scene before first responders transported him to a hospital.
Braxton Stuebe, an employee at a Dick’s Sporting Goods in the vicinity, said terrified shoppers rushed into the store as a woman yelled about an active shooter. Stuebe and a colleague escaped through a rear exit, only to come face-to-face with the gunman. Stuebe said he stood motionless with his hands raised while the weapon pointed at him, begging that he had a family and would comply with any demand. Williams appeared to become emotional, Stuebe recalled, and instructed him to leave. As the gunman moved away, he fired a round that barely missed Stuebe.
Restaurant Worker Killed Serving Customers
Among the fatalities was a member of the restaurant’s staff. Lynsi Snyder, the chain’s president, released a statement early Sunday confirming that In-N-Out had lost an associate who was helping customers when the shooting started. Snyder said the company would grieve alongside the families of those killed. Authorities had not made public the identities of victims, stating that relatives were still being contacted.
The California-based restaurant chain had opened the Twin Falls outlet only about a week prior, on July 24, as part of its push into Idaho markets. Two of the injured had been discharged by Sunday, three were listed in stable condition, and two remained critical, officials said.
Terry Dudley was struck twice while charging his electric vehicle adjacent to the restaurant. Michael Dudley, his son, spoke to ABC News and said Terry Dudley contacted 911 and a friend before being airlifted to a Boise hospital.
Chaos Unfolds in Crowded Retail District
The restaurant sits within a heavily trafficked commercial area, and numerous shoppers were present as the violence unfolded. Lane Koehn, 34, said he was at a traffic signal nearby when he observed someone carrying an AR-style rifle step out from the drive-thru area and a man with a pistol open fire at him. Koehn witnessed a uniformed worker pulling a wounded colleague, who had been shot in the chest, across the parking lot, and the pair stayed with her until medics arrived. Williams fired numerous rounds, Koehn said, and it remained unclear whether any particular individuals had been singled out.
Footage captured by a motorist across the street depicted a figure in black approaching a white vehicle while holding a rifle, yanking open the driver’s door and popping the trunk before reaching inside. The person recording the video fled, concerned the individual was grabbing additional firearms.
Haley Dodaro, 43, a Twin Falls resident, was in the drive-thru line with her mother when employees ran from the building and a man wearing a reflective vest alerted them to a shooter. People were “running out crying and screaming,” she said in a text message. A 40-year-old woman named Nayeli Rodriguez from Burley was positioned inside the establishment along with her daughters at the moment gunfire erupted from the kitchen and an employee commanded everyone to get down. An older man attempted to shield her family, and strangers eventually allowed them into a vehicle to flee.
Several victims were transported to St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center. The FBI established a digital media tipline encouraging the public to submit photos and footage, and Hicks warned against false information circulating online, noting that a man uninvolved in the incident had been incorrectly identified as the perpetrator. Referring to Williams’ family, the chief said their hearts were broken as well.