In-N-Out Burger reopened Friday, one week after the Aug. 1 shooting in Twin Falls that left three people dead and seven others injured.
The Twin Falls, Idaho location shuttered on Aug. 1, when gunman Chad Williams, 24, opened fire inside the restaurant and parking lot before taking his own life. Police identified the victims as Ashley Garibay, 23, of Stockton, California; Dale Schultz, 66, of Salt Lake City; and Christopher Claunch, 59, of Hagerman.
In-N-Out announced the reopening on Facebook, saying “As our In-N-Out Family continues to grieve this tragedy in Twin Falls, we remain focused on honoring the precious lives lost, supporting those affected and expressing our gratitude to the many individuals whose courage and compassion brought strength and hope to so many during this incredibly difficult time.” The restaurant reopened Friday, August 7 at 4:15 p.m.
The timing held special significance—4:15 p.m. marks “the same time IN-N-OUT first opened in Baldwin Park in 1948.”
Lynsi Snyder, In-N-Out’s president and owner, issued a separate statement recognizing the heroes who intervened. “We also want to recognize the extraordinary actions of an off-duty Idaho State Police trooper and the two courageous citizens whose bravery helped distract and drive the suspect away, preventing further loss of life and injury,” she said. Snyder concluded with a Bible verse: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
One of those heroes was Braxton Steube, who revealed his harrowing encounter with Williams. Video shows Williams shot at him but missed. “It was a terrifying and traumatic experience that I am still processing,” Steube wrote in a Facebook post. “While I am physically safe, my heart is heavy for our community and for everyone whose lives were changed forever.”
“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.’ He started to like tear up a bit, it seemed. And he said to me, ‘Just get away from me, man,'” Steube told KMVT-TV.
Police Chief Matthew Hicks heaped praise on Steube’s actions. “Your courage, your composure, your selflessness in that moment likely gave others the time they needed to escape harm. This community is grateful for you, and we will never forget what you did that day,” Hicks said.
“For this to happen in a town like Twin Falls is heartbreaking,” Steube wrote. “Our community has always been defined by care and compassion, and it is difficult to process that this occurred here.”
Another hero was Jordan Salinas, 35, a healthcare worker from Kimberly, Idaho. Salinas and his girlfriend had planned to go horse riding in Hagerman but first stopped for lunch at the In-N-Out restaurant off Blue Lakes Boulevard at about 2:30 p.m. local time.
Hearing the “pop-pop-pop” sound of gunfire, Salinas said he ran toward the sound in an “automatic” and “mechanical” response. Salinas was armed with an FN Five-Seven and began shooting at the gunman.
“He did not like it when bullets started firing both ways,” Salinas recalled.
Salinas told authorities he began firearm training following a 2021 shooting at a Boise Mall that killed two, and began training weekly in shooting and tactical responses. Witness Lane Koehn told The Associated Press that after exchanging gunfire with the suspect, Salinas remained at the scene and helped an injured In-N-Out employee until paramedics arrived.
Salinas posted a message on Facebook thanking the public for their support and promising to share more of his story when able.
An off-duty state police officer who happened to be at the scene also returned fire at Williams, and police credited both the officer and Salinas with actions that drove the gunman away and likely prevented more casualties.
In the viral moment that unfolded on Aug. 1, Chad Williams opened fire inside the In-N-Out drive-thru around 2 p.m., killing an employee and wounding customers. The gunman walked up to the drive-thru window four times and opened fire, killing an In-N-Out employee. Ten people were shot — inside the restaurant, directly outside, on an adjacent busy road and at a car charging station in a Twin Falls visitors center lot.
The gunman was confronted and driven from the restaurant by Jordan Salinas, an armed bystander, and an off-duty Idaho state trooper, whose return fire police credited with helping prevent additional casualties. Williams then went to the Twin Falls Visitor Center, was confronted by an employee, then died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after being located by officers while hiding near the edge of a canyon along a nearby walking trail.
The College of Southern Idaho confirmed Williams was a former student who studied there from 2022 to 2023 but did not graduate “with a credential from the College.” He was a senator in the college’s student government until he was impeached from that role in February 2023.
Police are working to determine Williams’ motivations, and his family is cooperating with law enforcement.