Police have identified the gunman responsible for the deadly shooting at an In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, Idaho, that left two people dead and seven others injured.
Authorities said Chad Williams, 24, carried out the rifle attack on Saturday afternoon before taking his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks confirmed during a press conference on Sunday.
Hicks also praised the actions of an off-duty police officer and an armed citizen who confronted the shooter during the attack.
“We want to take a moment and commend the actions of the off-duty officer and this citizen and their heroic action to stop this incident,” Hicks said.
“We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties.”
Harrowing video captured the terrifying moment an armed man with a handgun exchanged gunfire with Williams outside the restaurant in an apparent attempt to stop the attack.
According to police, Williams, who was armed with what appeared to be an AR-style rifle, began shooting inside the In-N-Out Burger at around 2 p.m. Saturday before the violence spilled into the parking lot, creating what Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks described as “a very chaotic” scene.
During the attack, one In-N-Out employee was seen dragging an injured co-worker across the parking lot while others rushed to help until paramedics arrived.
Footage recorded from a nearby vehicle appears to show Williams walking through the parking lot before aiming his rifle at the driver’s-side window of a blue Tesla and firing twice. He then lowered the weapon and ran across the lot with the rifle still in hand.
Police said Williams acted alone and that his family has been fully cooperative with investigators.
“Their hearts are also broken at this time,” Hicks said of the suspect’s family.
In-N-Out President Lynsi Snyder confirmed that one of the restaurant’s employees was killed in the shooting. Authorities have not yet publicly identified either of the two victims.
As of Sunday afternoon, police said two of the seven people injured had been treated and released from the hospital, three remained in stable condition, and two were still in critical condition.
Among those wounded was Terry Dudley, a taxi driver from Twin Falls, according to a GoFundMe campaign created to help cover his medical expenses.
The fundraiser states that Dudley, a widower and father of four, was charging his Tesla when he was shot twice in the back during the attack.
“There are very few people in this world like Terry. He is the kind of man who quietly puts others before himself, who works hard, loves deeply, and never hesitates to lend a helping hand,” the fundraiser reads.
“He is tenacious, compassionate, kind-hearted, and has a way of making those around him smile, even on their hardest days.”
Police have not yet determined what motivated the shooting, and the investigation remains ongoing.
