Idaho restaurant shooting suspect died of self-inflicted gunshot wound, police say
The man suspected of opening fire at an Idaho fast-food restaurant died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Three people were killed and seven injured.
Police in Twin Falls, Idaho, said on Sunday that a man suspected of a shooting at a fast-food restaurant died from a gunshot wound he inflicted on himself. The suspect was identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams, and investigators believe he acted alone, according to Police Chief Matthew Hicks.
The shooting took place around 2 p.m. on Saturday at a newly opened restaurant in a shopping plaza with hundreds of people nearby. Three people were killed and seven were injured. Two of the injured had been treated and released by Sunday, three remained in stable condition, and two were still listed as critical.
An off-duty state trooper and an armed citizen, whose names have not been released, returned fire and forced the suspect away from the restaurant. Hicks said their quick response helped prevent additional casualties and praised their actions.
The investigation into a motive is ongoing, Hicks said, adding that Williams’ family has cooperated fully. He also pushed back against false claims circulating online that named another person as the shooter, saying that person had no connection to the incident.
Lynsi Snyder, the owner of the In-N-Out chain, confirmed that one of those killed was an employee. In a statement posted to social media on Sunday morning, she said the company would grieve with the families and pray for them through a very painful time.
The FBI has asked anyone with photos or video of the shooting to share the material with investigators. Josh Palmer, Twin Falls public information officer, said police found the suspect’s body near the restaurant on Saturday and were still notifying victims’ relatives that evening.
Haley Dodaro, a 43-year-old resident, was having lunch with her mother and waiting in the drive-thru line when she saw people running across the road and workers rushing out. She initially thought it might be a fire, but a man in a reflective vest said there was a shooter. She told the Associated Press that people were running out crying and screaming, and it was very scary.
