Local police in Idaho, United States announced that the suspect in a major shooting incident at a fast-food restaurant in the state died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. During the incident, an off-duty police officer and a civilian fired at the gunman, forcing him to flee the scene and preventing further casualties.
Matthew Hicks, the Police Chief of Twin Falls in Idaho, stated at a press conference on Sunday that investigators confirmed the gunman, 24-year-old Chad Williams, acted alone and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The shooting took place at a newly opened In-N-Out chain restaurant in southern Idaho, resulting in three fatalities and seven injuries. Authorities revealed on Sunday that two of the injured have been discharged from the hospital after treatment, three are in stable condition, while two others remain in critical condition.
Hicks mentioned that around 2:30 pm local time when the shooting occurred, both an off-duty state trooper and an armed civilian fired back at the gunman, forcing him out of the restaurant. However, the identities of these two individuals have not been disclosed.
“We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties,” said Hicks.
He further stated that detectives are investigating Williams’ motive for the crime, with the suspect’s family fully cooperating with law enforcement efforts.
“Their hearts are equally breaking,” he added.
Police arrived at the scene near the restaurant on Saturday following a report and found the suspect’s body, preliminarily determining that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Lynsi Snyder, the President of In-N-Out, mentioned in a statement that one of the deceased victims was a female employee of the company.