Idaho fast-food restaurant shooter identified; Police say he's not the person rumored online and reveal how he died

Idaho Shooting Update: Police have identified the gunman in a fatal shooting at an In-N-Out fast-food restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Saturday (August 1, 2026). At a press conference on Sunday (August 2, 2026), officials in Twin Falls, located about 50 miles north of the Nevada border, announced that the suspect was 24‑year‑old Chad Williams, who died of a self‑inflicted gunshot wound.

Police credited an off‑duty officer and an armed citizen with firing shots that diverted him. Investigators believe Williams acted alone during the attack, Police Chief Matthew Hicks said at the briefing, according to the Associated Press (AP).

Four people, including Williams, were killed in the shooting, and seven others were injured at the recently opened restaurant in the southern Idaho city of about 56,000 residents. Authorities said two of the injured were treated and released, three were listed in stable condition, and two remained in critical condition.


Chief Hicks noted that both the off‑duty state trooper and the armed citizen, whose identities were not immediately disclosed, fired back, forcing the gunman away from the restaurant. “We believe their actions helped drive the suspect from the scene, preventing further casualties,” Hicks said, as quoted by AP. “We want to commend the off‑duty officer and the citizen for their heroic actions to stop this incident.”

Hicks said detectives are working to determine Williams’ motives, adding that the suspect’s family was cooperating fully with law enforcement. Officials asked potential witnesses or anyone with information to contact police.

Cops clear the air as online rumors wrongly name another suspect

The chief also warned of misinformation spreading online that falsely identified another man as the shooter, stressing that the individual had “no involvement in this incident whatsoever.”

Restaurant employee among victims

One of those killed was an employee, the fast‑food chain’s owner said. “My heart is broken, my chest is heavy, my eyes burn from the tears I’ve shed. We lost one of our beautiful Associates tonight,” In-N-Out owner Lynsi Snyder said in a statement released early Sunday on social media. “In-N-Out will be mourning with the families and praying for them as they tread through a very painful season.”

Snyder did not identify the worker. Officials were still trying to notify relatives of victims and therefore were not yet releasing the names, ages, or other details about those hurt in the shooting, Twin Falls spokesperson Josh Palmer said Saturday, AP reported.

Police who responded to the shooting found the body of the suspected gunman in an area near the restaurant, Palmer said. He added that investigators were interviewing witnesses to the shooting. The restaurant is located in a busy shopping plaza, and hundreds of people were in the area when it happened around 2 p.m.