Twin Falls Police Reveal What Drove In-N-Out Gunman Away From The Scene

Two innocent people were killed and seven more were wounded when a gunman opened fire at a newly opened In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, Idaho.

That is the first truth that matters here.

But police now say the toll could have been even worse if two people in that parking lot had not confronted the attacker while the shooting was still unfolding.

Twin Falls Police have identified the gunman as 24-year-old Chad Williams. He is also dead, bringing the total number of deaths to three when the attacker is included.

Here is the breaking update that began circulating after police released Williams’s identity:

🚨 BREAKING: Twin Falls, Idaho shooter's identity has just been RELEASED as 24-year-old Chad Williams, now dead

The shooter was engaged by an off-duty state trooper AND citizen Jordan Salinas during the incident, likely SAVING LIVES.

4 dead and 7 hurt. Pray for the victims and… pic.twitter.com/1kYEUhcOMR

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 2, 2026

The death count in that post does not match the latest official reporting. Police said Williams fatally shot two victims, and his death makes three people dead in all—not four.

During the Twin Falls Police briefing carried by KMVT, Police Chief Matthew Hicks said investigators believe Williams acted alone. A motive had not been announced, and the department was still reconstructing the attack while urging the public not to spread names or claims investigators had not verified.

Authorities said two of the seven wounded people had been treated and released. Three were listed in stable condition and two remained in critical condition.

Police said Williams left the immediate restaurant area and later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Hicks said Williams’s family was cooperating fully with investigators as detectives worked to determine a motive. He also warned that false information had spread online naming a different man as the shooter and said that person had no involvement in the attack.

The FBI asked members of the public to preserve and submit any images or video connected to the shooting. That evidence could help investigators reconstruct Williams’s movements through the crowded shopping area and determine exactly how the attack unfolded.

Then came the part of the briefing that changed the picture of how the attack ended.

Hicks said an armed citizen and an off-duty Idaho state trooper both returned fire. Their actions diverted Williams and drove him away from the restaurant, which police believe prevented further casualties.

That does not erase the unbearable loss inside that parking lot. It does mean somebody acted while more lives were still in immediate danger.

Footage of the armed response had already begun spreading before police named Williams:

🚨 JUST NOW: Police have STILL not released the identity of the Idaho In-N-Out shooter, who is deceased

This comes after hero Jordan Salinas sprung into action and ENGAGED the shooter, likely saving lives

3 fatalities have been reported. pic.twitter.com/dFPfa3O5vw

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 2, 2026

Those social-media posts identify the armed citizen as Jordan Salinas. Police did not name the citizen during the briefing, so that identification remains unconfirmed pending an official release.

There is also no basis to claim either responder shot or killed Williams. The official account is that Williams died by suicide after the two men forced him away from the scene.

The human cost becomes even clearer in KMVT’s reporting from witnesses caught inside the attack.

Dominic Gonzales was waiting in a vehicle with his two younger brothers while his sister went inside to order food. When he saw the gunman moving through the lot, Gonzales told the boys to duck and threw himself across the front of the vehicle so his body would be between them and any incoming fire.

His sister, Jaylyn Sanchez, had just finished ordering and was in the restroom when the shots began. She heard people screaming and crying as others crowded into the room, and she tried to barricade the door in case the gunman came inside.

When Sanchez was eventually told it was safe to leave, she ran through the drive-thru lane and came face-to-face with the attacker. She said he pointed his gun at her, forcing her to duck behind a parked car before she found a way out.

One of the people killed was an In-N-Out employee, according to the company. The victims’ names had not been publicly released as families were being notified.

Idaho is now moving from emergency response into investigation and recovery.

A state response announcement published by KMVT said Idaho State Police were helping secure the scene, collect evidence and support the continuing investigation.

The agency deployed personnel and specialized resources during the active incident, coordinated with other responding agencies and remained alongside local and federal partners as the investigation moved forward.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare also made behavioral-health and crisis-response personnel available. Those teams were coordinating with healthcare providers and community groups to connect victims, families, witnesses and first responders with counseling and other support.

Idahoans can reach the 211 CareLine for local assistance or call 988 for immediate crisis help. State officials said those resources would remain available as Twin Falls moved from the emergency response into a longer recovery.

Governor Brad Little said the state would stand with Twin Falls for as long as needed. He thanked the first responders and public servants who answered the call.

The investigation is still active. Police have not announced a motive, and they are asking anyone with images or video from the scene to preserve that evidence for investigators.

For now, two families are grieving, seven wounded people are recovering, and an entire community is trying to absorb what happened in the middle of an ordinary Saturday afternoon.

Pray for every one of them.