A civilian who confronted the gunman in a deadly shooting outside an In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, Idaho, has described his encounter with the assailant. Jordan Salinas, 35, told ABC News he saw the suspect aiming a rifle at passing vehicles before intervening.
"I peeked around the right-hand side of that sign closest to the road, and that's when I saw the individual with his rifle pointed at the vehicles," Salinas said. He noted that the suspect appeared calm while aiming at cars, but his demeanor shifted once shots were fired toward him. "He seemed unusually comfortable aiming that rifle at those cars. As soon as some rounds started coming at him, everything changed immediately. All that bravado he had immediately crumbled."
According to Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks, Salinas and an armed off-duty Idaho State Police trooper confronted the suspect, identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams, who later died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Hicks stated that authorities believe their actions drove the suspect from the scene and prevented further casualties.
The shooting occurred Saturday afternoon outside the In-N-Out Burger on Blue Lakes Boulevard. Three people were killed, and seven others were injured. As of Sunday, five of the injured victims remained hospitalized, with two in critical condition, Hicks reported. Investigators are continuing to look into the motive and believe Williams acted alone. His family is cooperating with the investigation.
Lynsi Snyder, president of In-N-Out Burger, issued a statement acknowledging that one of the company's employees was among those killed. "In-N-Out will be mourning with the families and praying for them as they tread through a very painful season," Snyder said.
Police received the first reports of gunfire at approximately 2:29 p.m. on Saturday. Hicks mentioned that 911 dispatchers could hear screams and gunfire in the background of the emergency calls. He described the scene as exceptionally chaotic, noting the restaurant's location near a busy shopping area that may have contained hundreds of people at the time of the incident. The FBI is assisting local authorities with the investigation, and officials are still requesting information or video evidence from the public.