3 Dead, 7 Hurt in Shooting at Idaho In-N-Out; Suspect Found Dead

Terror Strikes a Restaurant That Had Been Open Just One Week

The new restaurant had barely welcomed its first customers to this quiet city in southern Idaho before it became the scene of one of the most violent incidents the area had ever seen. On August 1, 2026, while the surrounding shopping area was busy with customers, gunshots rang out, sending bystanders fleeing in panic.

A Minute-by-Minute Account

At around 2:30 p.m., a person carrying an AR-style rifle was seen near the restaurant's drive-through area, according to an eyewitness account. The situation escalated quickly. A second witness, Lane Quinn, 34, said he saw another man with a handgun open fire toward the attacker. Meanwhile, restaurant employees fled through the exits. A witness named Haley Dodaro described seeing people "running and crying and screaming." Nayeli Rodriguez, 40, who was inside the restaurant at the time, said she heard shots coming from the kitchen and that strangers helped her escape. The law enforcement response was swift, with local police, Idaho State Police, and ambulances all arriving on scene; reports indicated the FBI also assisted in the investigation.

The Toll: 3 Dead, 7 Injured

Twin Falls city spokesman Josh Palmer announced that three people were killed and seven others were injured, some of them critically, and were transported to St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center. Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks described the scene as "extremely chaotic" and confirmed that officers later found the suspect dead in an area near the restaurant. "We believe the threat to the community has ended," Hicks said.

A Restaurant That Opened at the Wrong Time

Adding to the tragedy, the Twin Falls In-N-Out Burger had only opened on July 24, 2026 — less than a week before the attack — as part of the popular chain's expansion into Idaho. The restaurant is located in a busy commercial area in Twin Falls, a city of roughly 56,000 people about 130 miles southeast of Boise.

Questions That Still Have No Answers

Authorities have not yet released the identity of the suspect or a motive, nor have they clarified the exact circumstances of his death — whether it was a suicide, a civilian shooting, or a police shooting. Early figures on the number of injured also varied across different sources before the Associated Press settled on seven. It should be noted that the name "Chad Williams," which circulated in some early reports, was not confirmed by any verified source and cannot be treated as established fact. Similarly, claims in videos circulating online about the presence of more than one gunman remain unverified; police indicated the threat had ended and did not confirm the involvement of more than one individual.