{"id":2663,"date":"2026-08-03T17:19:57","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T17:19:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thejoeroganpod.com\/?p=2663"},"modified":"2026-08-03T17:19:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T17:19:57","slug":"the-second-bystander-who-stepped-in-at-twin-falls-in-n-out-was-described-in-just-three-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thejoeroganpod.com\/?p=2663","title":{"rendered":"The Second Bystander Who Stepped In at Twin Falls In-N-Out Was Described in Just Three Words"},"content":{"rendered":"

A quiet Saturday at one of Idaho’s newest In-N-Out Burger locations turned into a nightmare in just minutes. As investigators continue piecing together what happened, survivors, families, and witnesses are revealing heartbreaking details that paint a fuller picture of the tragedy \u2014 including how two strangers helped stop even greater bloodshed.<\/p>\n

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On August 1, 2026, authorities said\u00a024-year-old Chad Williams<\/strong>\u00a0opened fire at and around the Twin Falls In-N-Out Burger, killing three people and injuring seven others before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The restaurant had opened only eight days earlier as the chain’s fourth Idaho location.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Although investigators are still working to determine what motivated the attack, the New York Times reported that police believe Chad acted alone, opening fire with an AR-style rifle in the drive-thru and parking lot of the restaurant, which had only opened a week earlier on July 24.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Authorities identified 24-year-old Chad Williams as the gunman who opened fire at the Twin Falls, Idaho, In-N-Out Burger on August 1, 2026. Police said investigators are still working to determine what motivated the attack. | Source: Facebook\/Omaggle Post<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Police said Chad Williams acted alone during the shooting at the newly opened Twin Falls In-N-Out Burger. The attack left three people dead and seven others injured before he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. | Source: Facebook\/Patriotic Peach<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The Twin Falls In-N-Out Burger had been open for just eight days when authorities said Chad Williams opened fire in the restaurant’s drive-thru and parking lot. Investigators continue working to establish a motive. | Source: Facebook\/News For Black Community<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Panic Erupted Within Seconds<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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The shooting erupted shortly before 2:30 p.m. at the corner of Blue Lakes Boulevard and Fillmore Street, one of Twin Falls’ busiest commercial districts, where hundreds of people were gathered on a busy Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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As panicked customers fled for safety, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said dispatchers were flooded with emergency calls, many capturing screams in the background as the chaos unfolded.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Emergency vehicles surrounded the Twin Falls In-N-Out Burger as investigators began processing the scene following the mass shooting that left three people dead and seven others injured. | Source: YouTube\/Good Morning America<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Police blocked off the area around the Twin Falls In-N-Out Burger after the August 1 shooting, which erupted shortly before 2:30 p.m. at the busy intersection of Blue Lakes Boulevard and Fillmore Street. | Source: YouTube\/Idaho News 6<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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CBS News reported that social media video captured\u00a0people fleeing\u00a0<\/strong>across the shopping center parking lot while\u00a0gunfire echoed\u00a0<\/strong>nearby. Nayeli Rodriguez, 40, of Burley, was inside waiting for food with her daughters when the gunfire started. “We were trying to get as far as we could, and some angels let us in their car,” she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Twin Falls resident Haley Dodaro had been waiting in the drive-thru with her mother when everything suddenly changed. At first, Haley believed there had been a fire after seeing workers sprint out of the restaurant.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Bystanders, including families with children, fled across the shopping center parking lot after gunfire erupted outside the Twin Falls In-N-Out Burger. Witnesses later recalled the terrifying scramble to find safety as customers ran from the restaurant. | Source: YouTube\/Good Morning America<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Customers who had been inside or near the Twin Falls In-N-Out Burger gathered outside the restaurant moments after gunfire erupted, as frightened witnesses tried to make sense of the unfolding tragedy. | Source: YouTube\/Good Morning America<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Then a man wearing a reflective safety vest began directing traffic,\u00a0saving their lives. “So that’s when we knew there was a shooting. People were running out crying and screaming. It was very scary,” Haley\u00a0recalled.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A man in a reflective safety vest directed vehicles away from the danger after gunfire erupted outside the Twin Falls In-N-Out Burger. Witness Haley Dodaro later said that was the moment she realized there was an active shooter. | Source: YouTube\/NBC News<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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