The suspect in a fatal shooting at a newly opened In-N-Out Burger restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said Sunday, crediting an off-duty state trooper and an armed citizen with firing back and diverting him from the restaurant.
What Happened
Investigators say they're confident the gunman, identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams, acted alone during Saturday's shooting, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said at a news conference. In total, three people died and seven others were injured at the restaurant, located in a busy shopping plaza in the southern Idaho city of about 56,000 people. Of the injured, two were treated at a hospital and released, three were listed in stable condition, and two remained in critical condition as of Sunday.
How the Shooting Unfolded
The shooting occurred around 2 p.m. Saturday, with hundreds of people in the area at the time. Witness Lane Koehn, 34, said he was stopped at a traffic light near the restaurant when he saw a person carrying an AR-style rifle emerge from the drive-thru. A man carrying a pistol began firing back at the shooter. Koehn said he then saw someone in an In-N-Out uniform dragging a wounded coworker, bleeding from a gunshot wound to the chest, across the parking lot; Koehn, along with the armed bystander, stayed with her until paramedics arrived. "She was pretty bad off, but I don't know. I hope she made it," Koehn said. He said the shooter fired at least three or four rounds, and it wasn't immediately clear whether anyone specific was being targeted.
Separate video captured by a witness across the street showed the shooter, dressed in black, walking up to a white car with the long rifle, opening the driver's-side door, and popping the trunk before reaching inside — prompting the person recording to leave quickly out of fear the gunman was retrieving additional weapons.
Police Response
Police who responded to the shooting found the suspected gunman's body in an area near the restaurant. Twin Falls spokesperson Josh Palmer said investigators were interviewing witnesses as the department worked to piece together a fuller picture of the attack.
A Brand-New Location
The Twin Falls In-N-Out had opened only about a week earlier, on July 24, as part of the California-based chain's recent expansion into Idaho. In-N-Out owner Lynsi Snyder confirmed that one of the company's employees was among those killed, writing in a statement, "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." Snyder did not identify the employee.
Victims Not Yet Identified
As of the latest reporting, officials had not released the names or ages of the victims, saying they were still working to notify relatives before making that information public.
What's Next
With the suspect dead and investigators confident he acted alone, the Twin Falls Police Department continues interviewing witnesses to establish a full account of the shooting. Authorities have not yet disclosed a motive, and further details about the victims and the surviving witnesses' accounts are expected as the investigation continues.