Chad Williams, 24, is accused of opening fire at the Twin Falls, Idaho, restaurant on Aug. 1, killing three people and injuring seven
Credit: WTVR CBS 6/YouTube
NEED TO KNOW
- Police in Idaho have identified the suspected shooter who opened fire at an In-N-Out Burger on Aug. 1 as Chad Williams
- The 24-year-old suspect is accused of opening fire at a Twin Falls location, killing three and injuring seven
- The motive for the shooting is still being investigated, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said
Police in Idaho have identified the suspected shooter who opened fire at an In-N-Out Burger on Saturday, Aug. 1, killing three people and injuring seven before turning the gun on himself.
During a press conference on Sunday, Aug. 2, officials in Twin Falls, located about 50 miles north of the Nevada border, announced that the suspect was identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams, who “died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
“We are that confident Mr. Williams acted alone,” Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said, adding that the motive for the shooting is still being investigated.
Authorities were called to the chain restaurant, located in a busy shopping center, after receiving multiple 911 calls about shots fired at around 2:30 p.m. local time on Saturday.
“Dispatchers could hear screaming and reports of gunshots in the background,” he said.
Police are still working to notify victims’ families, Hicks added, sharing that of the seven people injured, two were still in critical condition as of Sunday.
Hicks shared that an armed bystander and an off-duty state police officer who happened to be at the scene fired shots at the suspect.
“We believe their actions drove the suspect from the scene, preventing further casualties,” he added.
Lynsi Snyder, the president of In-N-Out Burger, previously said a restaurant employee was among the dead. “My eyes burn from the tears I’ve shed,” Snyder wrote in a social media statement. “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,” she continued. “He shot both on our property and off, and ended his life shortly after he took the precious lives of our Associate and Customers, innocent people who never saw it coming.”
In a statement shared with PEOPLE, In-N-Out Chief Operating Officer Denny Warnick also said that the California-based fast food chain was working with law enforcement amid the investigation.
“We are heartbroken. Our prayers go out to our Customers, our Associates, and all of their families,” Warnick said. “We are working with the Twin Falls Police Department to assist in the ongoing investigation.”
A taxi service in the Idaho town, North Star Taxi, said that one of its drivers, a man named Terry Dudley, was injured during the shooting.
“Our driver Terry Dudley was the victim of a mass shooting Saturday,” the business said in a statement obtained by KBOI. “Terry was simply charging his Tesla when he was shot twice in the back … He is alive but has a very long road ahead of him.”
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Twin Falls resident Haley Dodaro, 43, told the Associated Press that she and her mother were at the burger chain for lunch on Saturday afternoon when the shots rang out.
Dodaro said that while they were waiting in the drive-thru line, they saw people running into the street and workers bolting from the restaurant, still in uniform. At first, Dodaro said she thought there was a fire, but a man directing traffic said there was a shooter.
“So that’s when we knew there was a shooting. People were running out crying and screaming. It was very scary,” she said.
The restaurant is located in a large shopping complex with multiple major retailers, a movie theater and a mall. Hicks said on Saturday that hundreds of potential witnesses who were at the scene are expected to be interviewed.
“I want to acknowledge the victims, their family, and anybody impacted by this tragic event. Our thoughts are with them, and we recognize the fear and concern that this has caused in our community,” Hicks said on Sunday. “This remains an active and ongoing investigation.”
Anyone with information related to the incident who has not already spoken with law enforcement is asked to contact investigators at 208-735-4357.
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