An armed bystander may have prevented more deaths during the fatal In-N-Out shooting in Twin Falls.
Three victims died and seven others were injured after a gunman opened fire near the Idaho restaurant on Saturday, August 1, 2026. Police said an armed citizen and an off-duty state trooper returned fire, forcing the attacker away from the crowded area.
Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said their response likely prevented further casualties. The suspect, identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams, later died near the scene.
Witness says the gunman became distracted
Lane Koehn, 34, witnessed part of the attack while stopped near the restaurant. He told NBC News that he saw a person carrying an AR-style rifle emerge from the drive-through area.
Koehn said another person in the drive-through line fired a handgun toward the attacker. The gunman then appeared to focus on that armed citizen, giving other motorists time to escape.
“The shooter was solely focused on him, and it allowed us to get out,” Koehn said.
Koehn believes the citizen’s actions kept the attacker from targeting more people. However, investigators have not completed their review of the full encounter.
Police credit two people with preventing more casualties
Hicks confirmed that both an armed citizen and an off-duty Idaho State Police trooper confronted the attacker. Police have not publicly released their names.
“We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties,” Hicks said.
The Associated Press reported that investigators believe Williams acted alone. His motive remained unknown as of Sunday.
Authorities stressed that the investigation remains active. Detectives are reviewing witness accounts, surveillance recordings, photographs, and videos from the area.
Three victims killed and seven injured
Twin Falls emergency dispatchers began receiving reports of gunfire at about 2:29 p.m. Police, firefighters, paramedics, and federal agents responded to the busy commercial area.
Authorities confirmed that three victims died. Seven others suffered injuries, including two people who remained in critical condition on Sunday.
Three injured victims were listed in stable condition. Two others received hospital treatment and were later released.
Police initially withheld the victims’ names while officers contacted their families. In-N-Out President Lynsi Snyder confirmed that one of the people killed worked for the restaurant.
Snyder said the company was grieving the loss of its employee. She described the worker as someone who had been caring for customers when the attack began.
Witnesses describe employees helping each other
Koehn said he reached another parking area after escaping the gunfire. From there, he saw an In-N-Out employee helping an injured co-worker.
A retired emergency medical technician who happened to be nearby provided assistance until an ambulance arrived. First responders then transported the injured worker for medical care.
Another injured person was identified by his family as local taxi driver Terry Dudley. His son told NBC News that Dudley was inside his vehicle when the shooting began.
The family said he remained hospitalized but appeared to be improving. Authorities have not released complete medical information about the surviving victims.
Officer-involved shooting under separate review
Police said a Twin Falls officer also fired a weapon during the emergency response. No one was injured in that separate incident.
Another law enforcement agency will review the officer’s actions. Such outside reviews are common when an officer fires a weapon during a police response.
The Twin Falls Police Department received assistance from the Idaho State Police and several nearby departments. The FBI is also supporting the investigation.
FBI requests videos and photographs
Investigators are asking witnesses to preserve any recordings from the shooting. This includes cellphone videos, photographs, security footage, and audio recordings.
Members of the public can submit digital evidence through the FBI’s Twin Falls shooting portal. Police have also urged people to avoid spreading unverified names or claims online.
ABC News reported that investigators had verified at least one bystander video from the scene. Officials are using available footage to rebuild the sequence of events.
Questions about the attack remain unanswered
Police have not announced a motive or explained why the In-N-Out location was targeted. Williams’ family is cooperating with investigators, according to Hicks.
The actions of the armed citizen and off-duty trooper have become a central part of the investigation. Police believe their intervention redirected the attacker and created time for other people to escape.
For the Twin Falls community, the investigation now centers on two urgent questions. Authorities want to determine why the attack happened and establish exactly how the intervention prevented an even greater loss of life.