A civilian who returned fire on a gunman at an Idaho In-N-Out Burger said the suspect’s initial confidence vanished when he was met with gunfire. Jordan Salinas, 35, told ABC News that he observed Chad Williams, 24, aiming his rifle at passing vehicles outside the Twin Falls restaurant on Saturday before deciding to intervene.
"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 stated in an interview with his girlfriend, Emily Cohelo.
Salinas, a healthcare worker and caregiver for his brother, described Williams as appearing calm while targeting cars. However, he noted that Williams' demeanor changed rapidly when he realized he was also a target. "He seemed unusually comfortable aiming that rifle at those cars," Salinas said. "As soon as some rounds started coming at him, everything changed immediately. All that bravado he had immediately crumbled."
Salinas, who was carrying a suppressed FN Five-Seven semi-automatic pistol, fired a shot at Williams. He stated this was the first time he had aimed his weapon at a person, drawing on training he undertook after witnessing the 2021 mass shooting at the Boise Towne Square mall.
Both Salinas and an off-duty police officer confronted Williams during the incident. The gunman subsequently moved to an open parking lot at the Twin Falls visitor center, where he died by suicide. Twin Falls Police Chief Hicks indicated that these actions likely prevented further casualties.
The attack resulted in the deaths of two people: Christopher Claunch, 59, and In-N-Out employee Ashley Garibay, 23. Seven other individuals were injured; five remained hospitalized as of Sunday, with two in critical condition.
Authorities are still investigating a motive for the shooting. Williams was a former student at the College of Southern Idaho and had previously posted on social media expressing concerns about crime.