3 killed and 7 injured in shooting at In-N-Out in Twin Falls, Idaho, officials say. The shooter is also dead

By Danya Gainor, Hanna Park, Alaa Elassar, CNN

(CNN) — Three people were killed and seven others were injured when gunfire erupted Saturday afternoon near an In-N-Out restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho, according to the city’s Police Chief Matthew Hicks.

The shooter — identified by officials as Chad Williams, 24 — is also dead, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Of the seven people injured, two were treated and released, three are in stable condition and two remain in critical condition, Hicks said in a news conference on Sunday.

Authorities have not released the identities of those killed or injured, saying their families had not yet all been notified. Hicks said investigators are withholding additional details because releasing them could “compromise our investigation.”

Just before 2:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, Twin Falls’ 911 dispatchers began to receive reports of gunshots, Hicks said. They could hear screaming in the background as they fielded the calls, he added.

An off-duty state trooper and a civilian returned gunfire during the attack, “heroic actions” police believe helped drive the gunman away from the scene and prevented additional deaths and injuries, Hicks said.

“I want to extend my deepest thanks to the off-duty trooper and the good citizen that engaged the shooter,” Twin Falls County Sheriff Jack Johnson said during the news conference. “These people are true heroes in our community, and their actions diverted the shooter and no doubt saved many lives.”

An In-N-Out employee was among those killed, In-N-Out Burger president Lynsi Snyder said in a statement.

“My heart is broken, my chest is heavy, my eyes burn from the tears I’ve shed,” Snyder wrote. “We lost one of our beautiful Associates tonight. She was taking care of our most important asset – our Customers, and her life was taken by a disgusting human who doesn’t value the lives of others or his own.”

Snyder said the shooter fired both on and off the property of the In-N-Out location and “ended his life shortly after he took the precious lives of our Associate and Customers, innocent people who never saw it coming.”

Saturday’s shooting unfolded in one of Twin Falls’ busiest commercial areas, a stretch of the city’s north side filled with hotels, national retailers and restaurants that serve residents and travelers alike. Located approximately 130 miles southeast of Boise, Twin Falls is a regional hub for much of southern Idaho.

The highly anticipated burger chain had been open for only a week at its Twin Falls location, its new storefront quickly becoming a local destination before the violence.

Video showed customers and In-N-Out workers, distinguishable by their red aprons and branded paper hats, running frantically into the parking lot as several shots were heard.

The FBI has established a digital media tip line and is urging members of the public with information to submit any videos, photos or audio that captured the shooting.

Witnesses describe panic

Dominic Gonzales was sitting in a car with his two younger brothers, waiting for his sister to come back from ordering, when he heard the first shots.

“We were just sitting there, I was playing on my phone when I heard a couple pops and I look up and I see a gentleman walking from a white vehicle to another vehicle with a pistol in his hand,” Gonzales told CNN affiliate KMVT. The man fired a shot at a vehicle, he said.

“I told my two brothers to duck down,” Gonzales said. He kept glancing up to track where the gunman was, he said, then threw himself across the front of the car — “just to take up space so if anything did come flying I was there.”

His sister, Jaylyn Sanchez, had just ordered food and stepped into the restroom when the gunfire began. As people screamed and cried, others crowded into the restroom beside her, and they tried to barricade the door. When they were told it was safe, she ran out through the drive-thru line — and directly into the shooter’s path.

“As I was running I faced the shooter head on and he pointed the gun at me,” Sanchez said. “I ducked behind a white car just to have some sort of coverage.” She said she saw a pistol resting on a gun case she believed belonged to the shooter.

“I didn’t have anything to protect myself so I grabbed the gun and I pulled it back,” she said. “It was jammed so I just felt helpless. I saw the truck in front of me so I got in the car and left.”

The incident joins a growing list of shootings in recent months that have sent people fleeing from ordinary places: a food festival, parades, places of worship and community gatherings across the country.

Palmer on Saturday advised the public to stay vigilant for more updates from police.

“I would caution people, we’re seeing a lot of misinformation on social media, so just be cautious,” he said.

Some of the state’s representatives in Washington, DC, said they were thankful and praying for first responders.

“I’m grateful for the swift response of Idaho’s first responders,” Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo wrote on X.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Amanda Jackson, Amanda Watts and Sharif Paget contributed to this report.

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