Off-duty officer and armed bystander praised for 'heroic actions' during deadly In-N-Out shooting
Police have praised a bystander and an off-duty cop for their ‘heroic actions’ during the horrific mass shooting at an In-N-Out in Idaho.
Three people tragically died and seven others were injured after a gunman opened fire at the fast-food restaurant on Saturday (1 August) in Twin Falls.
The suspect has been named as 24-year-old Chad Williams, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Officials said they are ‘confident’ Williams acted alone.
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Speaking during a press conference, Police Chief Matthew Hicks praised the quick-thinking and selfless actions of an off-duty state trooper and an armed civilian, who he says saved lives.
“We want to take a moment and commend the actions of the off-duty officer and the citizen and their heroic action to stop this incident,” Hicks said.
“We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties.”
Eyewitness Lane Koehn, 34, told NBC News that the armed citizen had distracted Williams.
“I could tell he was trying to figure out where to go, and somebody in the drive-thru line with a handgun was shooting at him,” Koehn said.
He went on to say that suspect appeared to be ‘panicked’.
“The shooter was solely focused on him, and [it] allowed us to get out. I mean, the car directly ahead of me was getting shot - it gave them time to leave,” he added.
Twin Falls resident Haley Dodaro, 43, and her mother, had also been in the drive-thru when the incident unfolded.
“People were running out crying and screaming. It was very scary,” Dodaro said to the Associated Press.
In a statement on Sunday (2 August), In-N-Out President Lynsi Snyder confirmed that one of those who died was an employee at the fast-food restaurant.
“My heart is broken, my chest is heavy, my eyes burn from the tears I've shed,” Snyder said in a statement.
“We lost one of our beautiful associates tonight. She 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.”
Snyder went on: “He shot both on our property and off, and ended his life shortly after he took the precious lives of our associate and customers, innocent people who never saw it coming.”
The restaurant opened just a week earlier, on 24 July, as part of the company’s expansion to Idaho.
The motive for the shooting remains unclear.
Hicks said the family of Williams are cooperating with cops.
“Their hearts are also broken at this time,” he said.
The identities of the victims who were killed were not immediately released because family notifications were still being made, Hicks said.
Of the seven injured, two have since been released from hospital, while three others remain stable after the shooting, and two have been left in critical condition.
Local police departments, including the Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office, Nampa Police Department, Caldwell Police Department, Meridian Police Department and Idaho State Police, continue to investigate.
The FBI has encouraged members of the public who have footage or images of the incident to submit them.
Topics: US News
Claire Reid