A 24-year-old woman from West Covina, California, is safe after surviving the mass shooting at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho — but for her parents, the hours before they knew that were agonizing. Here's what we know about the Idaho In-N-Out shooting, the suspect, the armed bystander who confronted him, and the terrifying wait one Southern California family endured.
What Happened at the Twin Falls In-N-Out
On Saturday, August 1, 2026, a gunman opened fire at a newly opened In-N-Out Burger location in Twin Falls, Idaho, killing three people and injuring seven others before turning the gun on himself. The restaurant, the chain's fourth in Idaho, had only been open for about a week at the time of the attack.
Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said officers responded to multiple 911 calls around 2:29 p.m. local time, with dispatchers reportedly hearing screaming and gunshots in the background of the calls. Police say they are confident the gunman, identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams, acted alone. A motive for the Idaho In-N-Out shooting remains under investigation, and authorities have said Williams' family is cooperating with the inquiry.
Cellphone video from the scene shows panicked customers and employees fleeing the parking lot as gunfire rang out, and one clip appears to show the shooter firing into the window of a parked Tesla near the restaurant.
Who Is Chad Williams, the Idaho Shooting Suspect?
Chad Williams, 24, has been named by Twin Falls police as the man responsible for the attack. Williams died at the scene from what officials described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Investigators say they believe he acted alone, though the reasons behind the shooting are still unclear.
Who Is Jordan Salinas?
As the chaos unfolded, an armed bystander identified in multiple reports as Jordan Salinas confronted the gunman, exchanging fire with him alongside an off-duty Idaho State Police trooper who was also on scene. Authorities credited the pair with helping drive the shooter away and preventing further casualties, though the police chief did not name them publicly at the initial briefing. Salinas has since been hailed online as a hero, with footage of the exchange spreading widely on social media and prompting an outpouring of support, including a fundraiser started by a family member.
A Southern California Family's Terrifying Wait
Among the In-N-Out employees inside the restaurant that day was a 24-year-old woman from West Covina. She was part of an "all-star team" of employees sent to Twin Falls to help train new staff at the freshly opened location.
When shots rang out, she fled the restaurant — leaving her phone behind. That single detail turned what should have been a quick reassuring call into hours of terror for her parents, Nikki and Micheal Ahern.
The Aherns first learned something was wrong through the Citizen App, which alerted them to an active shooting in the area where they knew their daughter was working. They waited for a call. It never came — not from her, anyway, because she no longer had her phone with her.
Eventually, she was able to borrow a friend's phone to call home. Nikki Ahern described the moment she finally heard her daughter's voice, saying she could barely say more than "mommy" through tears before confirming she was alive. Micheal Ahern asked whether police had arrived and whether she was safe; she said yes, though she also told him a co-worker had been affected.
Nikki Ahern said the distance made the ordeal even harder, describing the feeling of being powerless while clarity took so long to arrive nearly 700 miles away in West Covina.
Parents Criticize In-N-Out's Communication
In the aftermath, the Aherns said In-N-Out did not reach out to notify them directly about the active shooter situation involving their daughter, despite the company presumably having emergency contact information on file for employees. Micheal Ahern argued that a company sending workers across state lines for a store opening should have a protocol for alerting families during an emergency. CBS Los Angeles reported it reached out to In-N-Out for comment on its emergency notification procedures but had not received a response.
The daughter is still without her cell phone but was expected to return home to Southern California on Monday.
The Broader Toll
In addition to the three people killed, seven others were wounded in the shooting, two of whom remained in critical condition the day after the attack, according to Twin Falls police. In-N-Out president Lynsi Snyder confirmed a female employee was among those killed, though she was not publicly named by the company. Investigators say the numbers of dead and injured could still be updated as the investigation continues.
The shooting ranks among the deadliest in Idaho's recent history, striking a Twin Falls community of roughly 56,000 people about 130 miles southeast of Boise.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Location: In-N-Out Burger, Twin Falls, Idaho (opened July 24, 2026)
- Date/Time: Saturday, August 1, 2026, around 2:29–2:30 p.m. local time
- Casualties: 3 killed, 7 injured
- Suspect: Chad Williams, 24, died by self-inflicted gunshot wound
- Armed bystander: Jordan Salinas, credited with helping confront the shooter alongside an off-duty state trooper
- Southern California connection: A 24-year-old West Covina woman working at the location survived; her parents, Nikki and Micheal Ahern, described hours of uncertainty before learning she was safe
This is a developing story, and details — including the shooter's motive and the final count of victims — may be updated as Twin Falls police continue their investigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at the In-N-Out in Idaho? On August 1, 2026, a gunman opened fire at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho, killing three people and injuring seven others before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The location had only been open for about a week.
Who is Chad Williams? Chad Williams, 24, is the man identified by Twin Falls police as the shooter in the In-N-Out Idaho shooting. He died at the scene, and police believe he acted alone. His motive has not yet been determined.
Who is Jordan Salinas? Jordan Salinas is the armed bystander credited with confronting the gunman during the attack, exchanging gunfire alongside an off-duty Idaho State Police trooper. Their actions have been credited with helping prevent further casualties, and Salinas has since been widely praised online as a hero.
Was a Southern California woman involved in the shooting? Yes. A 24-year-old woman from West Covina, California, was working at the Twin Falls In-N-Out as part of a team sent to train new employees when the shooting occurred. She fled without her phone, which delayed her ability to contact her parents, Nikki and Micheal Ahern, who described hours of terrifying uncertainty before learning she was safe.
How many people were killed or injured in the Idaho In-N-Out shooting? Three people were killed and seven others were injured. Twin Falls police have cautioned that these numbers are preliminary and could be updated as the investigation continues.
Did In-N-Out notify employees' families during the shooting? According to the Ahern family, In-N-Out did not directly notify them about the active shooting despite their daughter working at the location. They have called on the company to establish a clearer emergency communication protocol for families of employees.
Is the Idaho In-N-Out shooting suspect still at large? No. Chad Williams died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and police say the threat to the public ended with his death.
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