Key Takeaways
- On August 1, a shooting outside an In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls left three dead and seven injured; the shooter, Chad Williams, died from a self-inflicted wound.
- Private citizen Jordan Salinas and an off-duty Idaho State Police trooper confronted the shooter, pushing him away from a crowded area, which likely prevented further casualties.
- Salinas described the chaotic scene and emphasized that armed civilians can effectively intervene, while also highlighting the importance of community members aiding others during crises.
- Five injured individuals remained hospitalized, with two in critical condition; the investigation continues into Williams’s actions and motive, with FBI assistance.
- Salinas noted that you don’t need a weapon to help during emergencies, as many civilians assisted in ensuring the safety of others.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
TWIN FALLS, ID — A 35-year-old private citizen and an armed off-duty Idaho State Police trooper opened fire on a man who was shooting a rifle at people outside an In-N-Out Burger on Blue Lakes Boulevard on Saturday, August 1, and Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks says their shots pushed him away from the crowd. Three people were killed and seven were wounded. The suspect, 24-year-old Chad Williams, died at the scene from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The private citizen, Jordan Salinas, described the encounter in an interview as reported by ABC News, which also carried Hicks’ account of the response from a Sunday news conference.
Police were called to reports of gunfire at about 2:29 p.m. Hicks said 911 dispatchers could hear screams and gunfire in the background of the calls. He called it one of the most chaotic instances a law enforcement officer could face in a career, and he noted why: the restaurant sits next to a busy shopping area where potentially hundreds of people were nearby when the shooting started.
Salinas said he and his girlfriend had just pulled into the parking lot. People were pouring out of the building. Neither of them understood what was happening at first, and he said they both thought it might be a kitchen fire. Then the shooting registered for what it was.
“It was like a switch,” he said. “Like, okay, you know, green light.”
He drew a suppressed FN Five-Seven from a shoulder holster and moved toward the shooting while hundreds of people ran the other way. He took cover behind the In-N-Out sign near the road. Video of the incident shows him firing repeatedly at the shooter.
“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 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 also pointed to something armed citizens should sit with. He said the biggest factor was that the shooter did not know where he was when the first rounds came at him. Cover and an unknown angle bought time, and time was the only thing that mattered to the people still running through that parking lot.
An armed off-duty Idaho State Police trooper also engaged the suspect. “We believe these actions drove the suspect from the scene and prevented further casualties,” Hicks said.
Deadly force is justified only against an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm, to yourself or to another person, and that is the same standard armed citizens across the country carry under every day. A man standing in a crowded shopping center firing a rifle and taking aim at passing vehicles is that threat in its plainest form, and the police account describes two men who put themselves between him and everyone else who was still exposed. What police have characterized is the effect of their intervention: the suspect left the scene, and the chief believes fewer people were hurt because of it.
Five of the wounded were still hospitalized Sunday, two of them in critical condition, according to Hicks. Lynsi Snyder, president of In-N-Out Burger, said in a statement posted to social media 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.
Investigators believe Williams acted alone, and a motive remains under investigation. Police said his family is cooperating. The FBI is assisting the investigation, and authorities are still asking anyone with information or video to come forward.
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One more thing from Salinas is worth repeating, because it is the mindset piece that gets lost every time a story like this breaks. He emphasized that you do not need a weapon to be useful. He said dozens of people sprang into action to move others to safety and to render first aid, alongside the first responders, and that all of it together got more people home.
“My goal was to try to help as many people get home as possible,” he said, “to be with their families, to be with their friends.”
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