Twenty-four-year-old Chad Williams turned a routine Saturday lunch rush into a bloodbath. But two men refused to let him keep firing.
Three people are dead, and seven more are recovering after a gunman opened fire outside a brand-new In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, Idaho, on August 1, 2026. As chaos spread through the parking lot, two armed men — one an off-duty state trooper, the other a civilian bystander — turned around and fired back.
Police say their split-second decision changed everything. Now, one of those men has stepped forward, and his account of those “two or three minutes” reveals a level of preparation nobody expected.
Twenty-four-year-old Chad Williams turned a routine Saturday lunch rush into a bloodbath. But two men refused to let him keep firing.
Three people are dead, and seven more are recovering after a gunman opened fire outside a brand-new In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, Idaho, on August 1, 2026. As chaos spread through the parking lot, two armed men — one an off-duty state trooper, the other a civilian bystander — turned around and fired back.
Police say their split-second decision changed everything. Now, one of those men has stepped forward, and his account of those “two or three minutes” reveals a level of preparation nobody expected.
An In-N-Out employee was also shot in the chest. Koehn watched a coworker drag her toward the sidewalk while screaming her name, trying to keep her conscious until paramedics arrived.
That employee was later confirmed among the three people killed. In-N-Out President Lynsi Snyder wrote on Instagram that her associate “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.”
The gunman eventually fled toward the visitor center bordering the property, still firing as he ran. He was later identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams, and police confirmed he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound before officers reached him.
Police Commend the Heroic Responders for Diverting Additional Casualties
At a Sunday news conference, Hicks confirmed what witnesses like Koehn had described: an off-duty state trooper and an armed civilian both engaged Williams and returned fire during the attack, according to CBS News.
“We believe their actions drove the suspect from the scene, preventing further casualties,” Hicks said.
Twin Falls County Sheriff Jack Johnson went further, crediting the pair with keeping the death toll from climbing even higher. “These people are true heroes in our community. They diverted the shooter and without a doubt saved many lives,” Johnson said, according to the Idaho Statesman.
For a full day, officials declined to name either man. Then one of them decided to speak for himself.
According to police updates, the suspect was identified as Chad Williams. Before officers arrived, an off-duty state trooper and an armed citizen immediately returned gunfire toward Williams. | Source: YouTube/@livenowfox
The Mystery Protector Emerges as a Devoted Local Healthcare Worker
The civilian who fired back has been identified as Jordan Salinas, a 35-year-old healthcare worker from Kimberly, Idaho. He’d stopped at the In-N-Out for lunch with his girlfriend on their way to a weekend of horseback riding in Hagerman, expecting a quiet Saturday, not a mass shooting.
Salinas is the full-time caregiver for his wheelchair-bound brother, and that role shaped his decision to start carrying and training with a firearm. He began after the 2021 Boise Towne Square mall shooting, reasoning that a person in a wheelchair and their caregiver would make an easy target for anyone looking for what he called a “soft target.”
He trained every weekend in the desert outside Eden, a small town in Jerome County, drilling a four-step military framework — observe, orient, decide, act — even though he never expected to use it.
On Saturday, he did. Salinas drew his FN Five-Seven pistol, moved toward the gunfire, and located Williams by the drive-through window before firing.
Police say the gunman opened fire at an In-N-Out Burger before the violence spread into the parking lot. Investigators are also urging the public not to share unverified information as the case continues. | Source: Getty Images
Tactical Desert Training Prepares a Quiet Hero for a Deadly Encounter
Salinas said he felt “no fear” throughout the encounter, focusing instead on the steps he’d rehearsed for years. His entire exchange with Williams lasted only two or three minutes before the gunman fled toward the visitor center.
“There’s a task that needs to be done, and we’re the ones who need to do it,” he said afterward.
Police have not officially confirmed Salinas by name, and both the Twin Falls Police Department and city spokespeople declined to comment when asked directly. His girlfriend, however, confirmed his role in confronting the shooter.
Grateful Local Residents and Online Fans Rally Around the Heroic Caregiver
By Sunday, Salinas had become something of a local legend. His usual coffee shop gave him free drinks, and strangers stopped to shake his hand throughout the day.
Memes featuring his silhouette against a Gadsden flag began circulating online, captioned “Idaho shoots back.” One friend told him people were buying up ammunition at local sporting goods stores in response to the video of him returning fire.