2026 Twin Falls shooting

The shooting occurred in one of Twin Falls' primary commercial districts on the city's north side, an area with numerous hotels, chain retailers, and restaurants frequented by both local residents and visitors. Twin Falls, located about 130 miles (210 km) southeast of Boise, serves as a regional center for much of southern Idaho.^[7]

The In-N-Out Burger restaurant where the shooting occurred had opened on July 24 as part of the company's recent expansion into Idaho.^[8] The Twin Falls City Council approved permits for the restaurant in fall 2024,^[9] and construction began in 2025, replacing an Outback Steakhouse location.^[10] The restaurant is the company's 441st location, and the fourth in the state of Idaho.^[11]

The first reports of an active shooter at the In-N-Out Burger restaurant were received by police at approximately 2:29 p.m. MDT. The gunman, 24-year-old Chad Williams, began the attack by pulling up to the restaurant's payment window, where he fatally shot the first victim, Ashley Garibay, who was an In-N-Out Burger employee, with a handgun.^[12][13][14] After shooting Garibay, Williams pulled forward in the drive-through lane and parked before exiting the vehicle and fatally shooting Christopher Claunch, who was in another vehicle.^[13][14]

After shooting Claunch, Williams was confronted by former Twin Falls police officer and former Idaho state trooper Austin Scott James who ran towards the initial shooting scene. Williams then shot and injured James, who then retreated and took out his pistol.^[5] James was stopped and pulled back by other people due to his injuries. Williams then returned to the payment window, where he fired at In-N-Out Burger employees who were rendering aid to Garibay. He lowered his handgun before raising it and firing again. At that point, his handgun jammed, and he retrieved a rifle from the back of his car.^[13][14]

As Williams retrieved the rifle, Steve McClain, an off-duty Idaho state trooper inside the restaurant moved past fleeing In-N-Out Burger employees and toward the payment window.^[15] Williams then ran past the payment window and fired at nearby patrons. After shooting at the customers, Williams then returned to the payment window where he exchanged fire with McClain. Williams retreated from the window, before returning and firing into the window again, striking a person who was attempting to assist McClain and render aid to Garibay. Williams then moved to the food window of the restaurant, where he observed no one inside and moved away from the restaurant towards Blue Lakes Boulevard North.^[13][14]

A woman fleeing the shooting inadvertently ran toward the location of Williams near the drive-through windows, and upon spotting Williams, hid behind Williams' parked vehicle. The woman picked up the handgun that Williams had left behind, but upon finding that the gun was jammed, discarded it and ran away. Williams then opened fire at vehicles on Blue Lakes Boulevard North which were stopped at a red light, where three victims were struck.^[13][14] Two sisters-in-law were struck by shots fired by Williams at traffic. One was struck in the face and critically injured, and the other, who was six months pregnant, suffered less serious injuries.^[16]

Jordan Salinas, an armed bystander, fired shots at Williams with a suppressed FN Five-seven semi-automatic pistol.^[8][17] Salinas had arrived with his girlfriend at the In-N-Out after the shooting began, and went toward the source of the gunfire before spotting Williams shooting at cars while standing near the drive-through window.^[18] Williams then ran north to a Tesla charging station, where he fired into two parked Tesla vehicles, striking a victim in the first vehicle and then fatally shooting Dale Schultz and injuring his wife in the second.^[13][14][12]

After shooting the three victims,^[13][14] Williams walked towards the Twin Falls visitor center where about three dozen people were inside.^[19] At this time, the first responding officer arrived at the scene, and McClain directed him towards the location of Williams.^[14] Earlier, tour guide Gabrielle Burton had opened the visitor center front door after guests reported the sounds of gunfire, believing that the sounds were fireworks. After opening the door and realizing that the sounds were indeed gunshots, Burton brought visitors who were looking at flowers outside into the visitor center and then ushered all the visitors away from the windows. Burton hid behind the visitor center's gift shop counter with two teenage employees, standing up briefly to see Williams approaching the building.^[19]

After spotting Williams, Burton then ordered everyone into a back hall of the visitor center, where they could hide and lock a door to prevent Williams from getting inside. Burton was the last person who managed to get inside the hallway, while two people hid behind a drink refrigerator near the entrance and another hid behind a stagecoach. Williams walked past the stagecoach, not spotting the person who was hiding there, and to the back wall where he glanced around before spotting an emergency exit that led to Canyon Rim Trail.^[19]

After exiting the visitor center, Williams then encountered two Dick’s Sporting Goods employees on Canyon Rim Trail.^{[13][14][19][20]} One of the employees was 17-year-old Braxton Stuebe, who had evacuated several patrons through the back of the store before running towards the trail with a coworker. Stuebe engaged Williams by trying to talk with him. He pleaded with Williams to stop shooting and even mentioned his family. Hearing Stuebe's words, Williams reportedly became emotional and stuttered out, "Just get away from me, man." This interaction distracted Williams from noticing a group of people further up the trail, allowing them to run away. Williams then fired at Stuebe, missing him, before running farther up the trail as officers closed in on his location.^[20] Officers searched the trail, a nearby construction site, and the edge of the canyon by the trail as they responded to incorrect reports of a second gunman. Williams was spotted by an officer hiding near the canyon edge between the construction site and a nearby Petco. After the officer confronted Williams, the gunman fatally shot himself, and his body fell into the canyon.^[13][14]

During a press conference, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks praised the actions of Salinas and McClain, stating, "We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties."^[18][21][22] During a later press conference, Hicks also praised the actions of Stuebe, calling him a "hero" and that the actions he took during his encounter with Williams "likely gave others the time they needed to escape harm".^[14] Salinas and McClain also received praise from Twin Falls County sheriff Jack Johnson, who stated, "these people are true heroes in our community" and "they diverted the shooter and without a doubt saved many lives".^[18][21][22]

Three people were killed, and seven others were injured.^[8] Several of the wounded were taken to St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center.^[23] Austin Scott James, who confronted Williams, was treated by his wife, who was a nurse, in an emergency room.^[24] James was struck once by Williams, and the shot shattered his arm and severed an artery.^[25] A woman who was shot in the face while on Blue Lakes North Boulevard was released from St. Luke’s Magic Valley on August 14 after undergoing treatment for two weeks. As a result of her injuries, she will undergo reconstructive plastic surgery.^[26]

The victims who were killed in the shooting were 23-year-old Ashley Garibay of Stockton, California, 66-year-old Dale Schultz of Salt Lake City, Utah, and 59-year-old Christopher Claunch of Hagerman, Idaho.^[12] Garibay was a manager for In-N-Out who was working at the new Twin Falls location to train new employees.^[27][28] Schultz and his wife had been traveling back to Salt Lake City from a family reunion when they were attacked by Williams at a Tesla charging station.^[14][29]

Following the shooting, the perpetrator was identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams.^[6] The information was released to the public the day after the attack, with authorities stating that Williams had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and that they believe he acted alone. A motive for the shooting is still under investigation.^[6] Williams studied at the College of Southern Idaho from August 22, 2022, to December 14, 2023, and did not graduate with a credential from the school. A former classmate noted his "transformation from student leader to mass shooter" was shocking.^[38] While at the school, Williams was a student senator as part of the student government and was later impeached from his position for "procedural" reasons.^[39] According to online records, Williams had links to a house in Waddell, Arizona.^[40]

Property records showed that Williams and his family had lived in Waddell since 2010. At the age of 16 in 2018, Williams was enrolled at the West Maricopa Education Center, but withdrew in February 2020. The local school district refused to make available any disciplinary records, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.^[41]

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also announced that they are assisting in the investigation on August 2.^[42] The FBI established an online tip line for the public to submit videos and pictures of the shooting the same day.^[43] Police officers from Boise, Nampa, Caldwell, Meridian, and additional troopers from the Idaho State Police were sent to Twin Falls in the aftermath of the shooting to supplement the officers of the Twin Falls Police Department and Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office.^[44][45] Police lieutenant Steven Gassert said that the mass shooting and an unrelated shooting in another part of the city the same day involving a suspect who went on the run had "tapped" the department of its resources, but that assistance from other law enforcement agencies had helped to fill gaps.^[46]

The Twin Falls Visitor Center was closed the following two days after the shooting.^[47] The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) deployed behavior health and crisis personnel to support the community in the aftermath of the shooting. The DHW coordinated with local healthcare and community organizations to help connect affected individuals and families to the appropriate services.^[48] The neighboring Swig and Mo’ Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food remained temporarily closed the following day due to investigations.^[49] A Chick-fil-A in the area had also closed for the remainder of the day due to the events.^[50] North Star Taxi, which employed one of the critically injured victims, temporarily ceased their taxiing operations in response.^[51]

The parents of an In-N-Out employee who was sent from West Covina, California, to train new employees, said that her phone had been left at the restaurant and become part of the crime scene and without it they had been unable to communicate with their daughter. Her mother said she did not know what hotel her daughter was located at, and while they heard that In-N-Out would organize a flight for their daughter back to West Covina, they had not heard from the company directly.^[52]

Twin Falls police, with assistance from the FBI, local, state, federal, and nongovernmental organizations, opened up a family assistance center at Sawtooth Elementary School from August 4–5. Victims and family members of victims could request and collect personal belongings left at the scene of the shooting, and the American Red Cross, mental health support, Crimes' Victims Compensation fund, spiritual care, and other victim assistance services would be made available at the center.^[53] The Twin Falls Police Department and FBI also set up a digital family assistance center for those who could not visit the physical location or did not wish to.^[54] The city of Twin Falls said that any one who was at the In-N-Out Burger restaurant, the Canyon Park West Complex, the Visitor Center, the Canyon Rim Walking Path, or in a vehicle on Blue Lakes Blvd North during the shooting was a victim and that those persons may qualify for mental health support through the Idaho Crime Victims Compensation Program.^[55]

The In-N-Out Burger remained closed for six days following the shooting. The restaurant reopened at 4:15pm on August 7, which the company said was chosen with "thoughtful consideration, respect, and care for our Associates and the Twin Falls community" and to honor the first opening of the original In-N-Out Burger location in Baldwin Park, California, in 1948.^[56] A prayer vigil, in which non-employees were invited to take part in, was also held on the day of reopening.^[57]

The Twin Falls Police Department and Twin Falls School District expanded their school resource program in the aftermath of the shooting, stationing a permanent school resource officer at every secondary school in the district. Prior to the shooting, a few officers were rotated between secondary schools in the district.^[58]

Idaho senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch also responded, writing on social media that they were monitoring the situation, with Crapo writing that he was "grateful to the swift response of Idaho's first responders" and Risch writing that he and his wife, Vicki, were praying for the safety of those involved.^[59] Representative Mike Simpson, who represents the area, gave condolences to the victims and said that local law enforcement, first responders, and an armed civilian who engaged the shooter had behaved courageously and prevented more fatalities. Simpson added that "We owe them all a debt of gratitude for their selfless service".^[60]

Idaho governor Brad Little wrote on social media requesting Idahoans to "join me in keeping the Twin Falls community in your prayers", to follow directions from law enforcement, and to avoid the area of the shooting. Raúl Labrador, the Idaho attorney general, wrote on social media that he was "praying for everyone in Twin Falls" and the same guidance as Little "so first responders can do their jobs".^[59]

The City of Twin Falls and the Twin Falls city council released a joint statement two days after the shooting, written by Twin Falls mayor Jason Brown, in which he wrote that the city was "heartbroken" by the shooting, were expressing their condolences to the victims, wanted to thank first responders, and that they were "struggling to understand how something so senseless and tragic could happen here and how so many lives could be changed in an instant".^[61]

The CEO of In-N-Out, Lynsi Snyder, released a statement that said her "heart is broken, my chest is heavy, my eyes burn from the tears I've shed" as a result of the attack which resulted in the deaths of an In-N-Out employee and customers. The chief operating officer of In-N-Out, Denny Warwick, said that the company was "heartbroken" by the shooting and that they were cooperating with the investigation.^[62]

On August 4, a candlelight vigil was held at Twin Falls City Park around a memorial that had been created in honor of the victims of the attack by the organizers. The memorial consisted of three crosses, with a blue heart inscribed the name of one of the three deceased victims, on which mourners could write tributes to the deceased. City council-member Grayson Stone, who assisted in organizing the vigil, was the only speaker during the event, and he said, "There is nothing I can say right now to help heal us, except for us to be with each other. This is how we heal our community, right here, right now". During the vigil, some participants sang "Amazing Grace".^[63]

On the same day as the candlelight vigil, a service was held at St. Olaf Catholic Church in Salt Lake City in honor of victim Dale Schultz which was attended by around 100 people. Church leaders announced plans to make a bronze piece Schultz had created, which he had donated to the church prior to his death, a lasting part of the church, and to install a bronze plaque in honor of Schultz and his wife.^[29] The following day, a candlelight vigil was held for victim Ashley Garibay in a Stockton In-N-Out Burger parking lot.^[64]

An all-ages benefits concert was organized to raise funds for the families of victims and held at the Tap House Event Center on August 9. A silent auction also took place during the event.^[65]

• List of mass shootings in the United States in 2026
• 2007 Moscow, Idaho, shooting, another mass shooting in Idaho
• San Ysidro McDonald's massacre, a 1984 mass shooting targeting another fast food restaurant
• Sutherland Springs church shooting, a 2017 mass shooting where an armed civilian fired at an active shooter