A gunman named Chad Williams opened fire in the drive-thru of a newly opened In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Saturday. Three people were killed and several others were injured after an armed bystander exchanged gunfire with the rifle-armed suspect, who later fled and was found dead nearby.
Event Context
The bystander, Jordan Salinas, has now come forward and shared his account of what happened with the Idaho Statesman. However, police still haven’t officially named the armed civilian who exchanged gunfire with the suspect.
Also Read: Who was Chad Williams? Idaho Twin Falls shooting suspect identified
Salinas ran toward the sound, calling it an “automatic,” “mechanical” response. He recalled hearing his girlfriend shout his name, just before the shooting started again.
Also Read: Jordan Salinas’ first reaction after confronting Twin Falls gunman Chad Williams goes viral: ‘The last 24 hours…’
Staying out of sight, Salinas spotted the shooter, identified by police as 24-year-old Chad Williams, standing near the drive-through window and firing at cars. Salinas fired back with his pistol. An off-duty policeman, who happened to be a customer at the restaurant, joined in, and their combined fire pushed the shooter toward an open parking lot near the city’s visitor center.
Witness Lane Koehn, 34, told the Associated Press he saw a person with a pistol begin firing at the rifle-armed gunman after the suspect emerged from the drive-thru and that the man stayed at the scene to help a wounded In-N-Out employee until paramedics arrived.
On X, several users have praised Salinas for his actions, with posts calling him a “hero,” including one that read, “This is the hero that confronted the In-N-Out gunman in Idaho. Meet Jordan Salinas.”
Also Read: Twin Falls active shooter update: Is the suspect in custody after deadly In-N-Out shooting?
Team Analysis
Lynsi Snyder, the president of In-N-Out Burger, said a worker was among those killed.
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According to Idaho Statesman, Salinas and his girlfriend had planned a quiet Saturday. They were set to go horseback riding in Hagerman, then stop for lunch in Twin Falls before hitting the road. He pulled into the In-N-Out around 2:30pm and saw people running out of the restaurant. He first thought it was a kitchen fire, but then he heard gunfire.
Officers responded to the In-N-Out on Saturday afternoon after reports of an active shooter, according to a public safety update from the Twin Falls Police Department. Twin Falls city public information officer Josh Palmer confirmed three people had died and seven others were injured, with some in critical condition.
Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said a suspected shooter has died. It was not clear whether the shooter was being counted among the three dead.
