Police in Twin Falls, Idaho, have identified 24-year-old Chad Williams as the gunman who opened fire at a newly opened In-N-Out Burger location Saturday afternoon, killing three people and injuring seven others before turning the gun on himself.
Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said at a Sunday news conference that 911 calls reporting shots fired began coming in around 2:29 p.m. Saturday at the restaurant on Blue Lakes Boulevard, which had opened just a week earlier, on July 24. Dispatchers could hear screaming and gunshots in the background of the calls, Hicks said.
Investigators believe Williams acted alone. He was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after an off-duty Idaho State Police trooper and an armed civilian bystander exchanged gunfire with him. Hicks credited the pair with driving Williams from the scene and preventing further casualties, calling their actions heroic. Neither has been publicly named by police.
A witness, Lane Koehn, told NBC News he watched the gunman move through the drive-thru toward his car while someone in line returned fire with a handgun, describing Williams as “panicked” and moving “kind of erratically.”
Of the seven people injured, two remained in critical condition Sunday, three were in stable condition, and two had been treated and released, according to police. Authorities have not released the names of the three people killed out of respect for their families. In-N-Out President Lynsi Snyder confirmed in a statement that a female employee was among the dead, saying the company's “heart is broken.”
A motive for the shooting remains under investigation. Hicks said Williams' family has been cooperating with law enforcement, adding that “their hearts are also broken at this time.” The FBI is assisting local police and has set up a tip line requesting video, audio or photos from the scene.
Some nut case just attacked the In-N-Out in Twin Falls, Idaho. We have some serious Pharma and mental illness in this country. No, it’s not the gun, morons. pic.twitter.com/1zcwkWXEwS
— Buzz Patterson (@BuzzPatterson) August 1, 2026
Police also moved to knock down misinformation spreading on social media, saying posts identifying a different Twin Falls man as the shooter were “absolutely false” and urging the public not to spread unverified claims.
Nearby businesses, including a Chick-fil-A and the Magic Valley Mall, closed or sheltered in place during the incident as a precaution. The Twin Falls Visitor Center remained closed through Monday. Idaho's Department of Health and Welfare has deployed crisis and behavioral health personnel to support the community, and Gov. Brad Little asked residents to keep Twin Falls “in your prayers.”
Sources
Fox News — Chad Williams identified as suspect in deadly In-N-Out shooting in Twin Falls
CBS News — Idaho In-N-Out gunman died by gunshot wound after killing 3, wounding 7
NBC News — Armed bystander distracted gunman in fatal In-N-Out shooting
ABC7 News — In-N-Out shooting in Twin Falls, Idaho, leaves 3 dead, 7 injured