Idaho In-N-Out Shooting Suspect Named — But Police Warn Public About a Second Name Circulating Online

Police have identified the gunman behind Idaho's deadly fast-food restaurant shooting, but investigators say another name circulating online has complicated the case.

Police have identified the man accused of carrying out the deadly shooting at an In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, Idaho, while warning the public not to spread false information that has led to an unrelated person being wrongly identified online.

The New York Post said the shooting happened Saturday afternoon, August 1, 2026, leaving three people dead and seven others injured. The shooting began inside the restaurant before spilling into the parking lot.

Police said the suspect was armed with an AR-style rifle, and video recorded from a nearby vehicle appeared to show him firing toward a blue Tesla before running across the parking lot with the weapon.

As reported by KTVB 7, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks told reporters investigators are confident the gunman acted alone.

Hicks also credited an off-duty state trooper and an armed citizen with returning fire. "We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties," Hicks said.

Police later identified the suspect as Chad Williams, 24. Authorities said he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after the attack.

Investigators have not released a motive, though Hicks said Williams' family has been fully cooperative with the investigation. "Their hearts are also broken at this time," Hicks added.

As police confirmed the suspect's identity, they also addressed misinformation spreading online.

Hicks warned that another name circulating on social media is not connected to the shooting. "This information is absolutely false. This gentleman has no involvement in this incident whatsoever," Hicks said.

Police also said an active-duty service member who shares the suspect's name has become the target of online harassment and false accusations despite having no connection to the case.

Meanwhile, internet users have begun trying to trace Williams' background. A post on X by @_0HOUR1 claimed users were "putting together a puzzle" on the alleged suspect, suggesting he may have left college and pointing to what the account described as an X profile that was last active in April.

The post also included screenshots of what appeared to be a College of Southern Idaho (CSI) student profile.

Separately, publicly available CSI Student Senate meeting minutes from February 2023 list a person named "Chad Williams" as a student senator. Neither the X post nor the meeting minutes independently establish that the records refer to the suspect identified by police.

The investigation remains ongoing as detectives continue working to determine what led to the shooting.