Twin Falls shooting investigation turns to motive after 3 killed, 7 wounded at In-N-Out
Investigators in Twin Falls were still trying to determine why 24-year-old Chad Williams opened fire at the city’s In-N-Out restaurant on Saturday, Aug. 1, killing three people and wounding seven others.
Police said Williams died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and that detectives are confident he acted alone. That lone-actor assessment is an investigative conclusion and could be updated if new evidence emerges.
What police have established
The shooting occurred at the recently opened In-N-Out in Twin Falls during the early afternoon in a busy shopping plaza, according to the Associated Press.
Authorities reported three victims killed and seven others wounded. Williams was also killed, bringing the total number of deaths connected to the shooting to four. In the latest police update reported by AP, two wounded people had been treated and released, three were listed as stable and two were in critical condition.
Police Chief Matthew Hicks said an off-duty Idaho State Police trooper and an armed civilian fired at Williams and diverted him from the restaurant. Their identities had not been released in the latest report.
Motive remains unknown
As of Tuesday, Aug. 4, investigators had not established a motive. Authorities had not released verified evidence showing that the shooting was driven by a particular ideology, grievance, mental-health condition or relationship.
Police also warned about misinformation that identified another man as the shooter. AP reported that the man named in those claims had no involvement in the attack.
Williams died before any prosecution and has not been convicted or legally adjudicated in connection with the shooting.
Twin Falls connections
The victims, responders and suspect had documented connections to Twin Falls and the surrounding community. Austin “A.J.” Scott James, who was critically wounded, formerly worked for the Twin Falls Police Department and the Idaho State Police, according to his father, Marcus Scott James.
Terry Dudley, a North Star Taxi driver, was shot while charging one of the company’s Teslas in a parking lot next to the restaurant. The company’s owner told AP that Dudley was flown to a Boise hospital with serious injuries.
Williams attended the College of Southern Idaho from August 2022 through December 2023, according to college President L. Dean Fisher. He did not graduate or earn a certificate. AP reported that Williams served in the student senate and was unanimously impeached by fellow senators in February 2023.
Those details document local connections but do not establish a reason for the attack. Investigators have not publicly linked Williams’ college history, the victims or the responders to a motive.
What happens next
The Twin Falls Police Department’s Public Information Office and department commanders handle information requests about routine investigations and incidents. The department says it makes certain newsworthy reports and information available when doing so would not harm an investigation or cause personal damage to a victim.
The department’s Records Bureau processes public-records requests. Its website says investigative records maintained by the department are public records under Idaho law unless an exemption applies, and that requests must be submitted through the city’s public-records request process.
For residents, the central unanswered question remains why the shooting happened. As of Aug. 4, police had identified Williams, reported the casualty figures and assessed that he acted alone, but had not supplied a verified motive.
Sources
- Associated Press follow-up on the motive investigation
- Twin Falls Police Department Public Information and Media
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