Civilian heroes save lives at Idaho mass shooting that left 3 dead, 7 injured

A 24-year-old gunman killed three people and injured seven others Saturday, but two civilians defended countless others at the scene: a Twin Falls In-N-Out restaurant – “one of the busiest locations in all of southern Idaho,” according to the local police chief.

“These people are true heroes in our community,” Twin Falls County Sheriff Jack Johnson said of the two men who returned fire at the shooter. “They diverted the shooter and without a doubt saved many lives.”

Jordan Salinas, 35, pulled into the In-N-Out with his girlfriend around 2:30 p.m. MDT – the reported time of the mass shooting. As people fled on foot and in cars, Salinas drew his FN Five-seveN, a semiautomatic pistol, and made his way on foot toward the drive-through lane, where the suspect, later identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams, was firing.

Salinas, a health care worker and full-time caregiver for his handicapped brother, said he has trained for several years in emergency response because gunmen often attack “soft targets,” such as his brother, according to the Idaho Statesman. He’s trained for five years in the desert outside Jerome County and had never even shot a squirrel but still practiced a military four-step approach: Observe. Orient. Decide. Act.

“There’s a task that needs to be done, and we’re the ones who need to do it,” he said.

Salinas later posted a message on Facebook thanking the community for its kindness but requesting the focus remain on “the victims and their families.”

“The last 24 hours have been overwhelming,” the Sunday night post read. “I want to sincerely thank my family, friends, and everyone who has reached out with messages, prayers, and support. I haven’t been able to respond to everyone yet, but please know I’ve seen your messages and they mean more to me than I can put into words.

“In the coming days, I’ll share a more complete account of what happened, to the best of my recollection, when I’m able.

“For now, my heart remains with the victims, their families and everyone affected by yesterday’s tragedy. Thank you for continuing to keep them in your thoughts and prayers, and thank you all for the incredible support you’ve shown me and my family.”

An unidentified off-duty police officer also returned fire at Williams, who carried a rifle, according to police.

“We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties,” Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said. “We want to take a moment and commend the actions of the off-duty officer and the citizen, and their heroic actions helped stop this incident.”

Williams later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Hicks. His family is fully cooperating with law enforcement, Hicks said Sunday.

“Their hearts are also broken,” he said.

The victims

At least one of the victims has been identified, Ashley Garibay, 23, an In-N-Out employee from California. Online posts said she had come to train employees at the restaurant, which had opened just days earlier.

“My heart is broken, my chest is heavy, my eyes burn from the tears I’ve shed. We lost one of our beautiful associates tonight,” company owner Lynsi Snyder said in a statement. “In-N-Out will be mourning with the families and praying for them as they tread through a very painful season.”

Of the seven injured, two remained in critical condition as of Sunday, three were in stable condition, and two had been treated and released, according to Fox News.

Other witnesses fled the scene and escaped with their lives.

“We were trying to get as far as we could, and some angels let us in their car,” said Nayeli Rodriguez, a mother who was inside the In-N-Out with her daughters during the shooting.

The In-N-Out is located in a larger shopping center, so customers and employees at nearby businesses also witnessed the events. Dick’s Sporting Goods employee Braxton Stuebe told CBS he came “face-to-face” with Williams.

“I saw the gun and I kind of just froze. I put my hands up and that’s when he pointed the gun directly at me,” he recalled. “The only thing I was really thinking was, don’t try and make any sudden movements, don’t try and run. Just hopefully talk to him and hopefully he can change his mind.

“I said, ‘I have a family.’ I said, ‘you don’t have to do this. I’ll tell you whatever you want. I’ll do anything,’” and then, Stuebe said, the gunman “just got like emotional, it seemed like. And he said to me, ‘just get away from me, man.’ He turned back around and, with the firearm at his hip, fired a shot toward me. Thankfully, he missed me.”

Hicks promised to update the Idaho community as more information, including a motive, becomes available, but praised Twin Falls first responders for their actions.

“You should also know that the men and women from your respective law enforcement agencies, your fire service, your ambulance, they have performed at their highest levels today,” Hicks said. “This is the most chaotic scene that many of them will ever have in their careers. They rose to their training. They rose to the level that our community expects, and you should be very proud of the women and men who serve as your first responders.”

(Image credit: Jordan Salinas/X/Facebook)