An armed civilian and an off-duty Idaho state trooper exchanged gunfire with an assailant at a Twin Falls In-N-Out Burger location on Saturday, August 1, 2026, forcing the shooter to retreat before he ultimately took his own life, authorities announced. The incident left three people dead and seven wounded at the busy shopping plaza on Blue Lakes Boulevard.
Police Chief Matthew Hicks identified 24-year-old Chad Williams as the shooter during a news conference held on Sunday, August 2. Williams acted alone, investigators believe, though a motive has not been determined. His relatives are working with authorities, Hicks said.
Armed Bystanders Engaged the Attacker
The quick actions of two individuals who returned fire prevented additional casualties, according to Hicks, who described their conduct as heroic. One of them, Jordan Salinas, a 35-year-old Kimberly resident, told the Idaho Statesman that Williams “did not like it when bullets started firing both ways.”
Austin James rushed toward Williams in an attempt to intervene but kept his weapon holstered because he feared police would confuse him with the gunman, his father, Marcus James, said. Austin James sustained critical wounds in a direct confrontation with Williams. Accompanied by Williams, his wife and a friend—both nurses working in emergency rooms—provided urgent medical attention on site before paramedics arrived to transport him for further treatment.
Braxton Stuebe, an employee at a Dick’s Sporting Goods nearby, said frightened people poured into the store after a woman yelled about an active shooter. Stuebe and a colleague escaped through a rear exit but ran straight into Williams. Stuebe froze and lifted his hands while the weapon was aimed at him, begging that he had a family and would comply with anything. Williams became emotional, Stuebe recalled, and ordered him to leave. Shortly after, as Williams retreated, he discharged a round that barely missed.
Chaos Unfolded at Crowded Retail Area
Dispatchers answering 911 calls just after 2 p.m. local time could hear screaming and gunshots in the background. Officers arrived at 2:29 p.m. following reports of shots fired. Hicks described the scene as among the most disorienting situations officers face in their careers.
Lane Koehn, 34, said he was at a traffic light when he witnessed someone with an AR-style rifle emerge from the restaurant’s drive-thru area and another individual armed with a handgun began firing back. Koehn observed a uniformed employee pulling a wounded coworker, who had been shot in the chest, across the lot, and the two stayed with her until medics came. He said Williams fired numerous rounds and that it wasn’t clear whether specific individuals were targeted.
A driver across the street captured video showing a figure in black approaching a white vehicle with a rifle, opening the driver’s door and releasing the trunk before reaching inside. The person recording fled, worried the man was getting more firearms.
Twin Falls resident Haley Dodaro, 43, was in the drive-thru with her mother when workers fled the restaurant and someone wearing a reflective safety vest alerted them to the active shooter. People were “running out crying and screaming,” she said. Nayeli Rodriguez, 40, from Burley, had taken shelter inside the restaurant with her daughters after hearing gunfire coming from the kitchen area, where a worker instructed patrons to get on the floor. An older man attempted to shield her family, and strangers eventually allowed them into a vehicle to flee.
Restaurant Employee Killed in Attack
An In-N-Out worker was among those killed. Chain president Lynsi Snyder said in a statement posted early Sunday that one of its associates had been lost. The employee was serving customers when the shooting started, Snyder said, and the company would grieve with the victims’ families. Authorities had not disclosed the identities of the dead or injured, citing ongoing family notifications.
The location opened approximately a week before the attack, on July 24, part of the California-based company’s recent expansion into Idaho. Two of the seven wounded had been treated and discharged by Sunday, three were in stable condition, and two remained critical, officials said.
Terry Dudley sustained two gunshot wounds while his electric vehicle was being charged at a station close to the restaurant, according to what his son, Michael Dudley, shared with ABC News. Terry Dudley contacted 911 and a friend before being airlifted to a Boise hospital.
Several victims were transported to St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center. The FBI established a digital media tipline requesting the public to submit images and video, and Hicks warned against misinformation, pointing out that a man with no connection had been incorrectly identified online as the attacker. Speaking of Williams’ relatives, the chief said their hearts were broken, too.