Siblings Who Survived the In-N-Out Parking Lot Attack Recount the Harrowing Incident – What They Revealed Happened

What began as a desperate search for shelter soon turned into a far more terrifying test of survival, with one sibling forced to make an impossible choice in mere seconds.

A routine stop for food placed siblings in the middle of a deadly attack, forcing them to make split-second decisions while gunfire erupted around them. Yet the most chilling moment came when one of them believed it was safe to run.

As we previously reported, the Twin Falls, Idaho, In-N-Out shooting erupted on Saturday afternoon, August 1, 2026, while the restaurant was packed with customers. Three people were killed, and seven others were injured in the attack that quickly spread into the restaurant's parking lot.

Opened on July 24, the Twin Falls restaurant had welcomed customers for just over a week before the shooting, according to a KMVT News Facebook post covering its grand opening.

Police later identified the suspected shooter as 24-year-old Chad Williams, who authorities said died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities said he was armed with an AR-style rifle, and video recorded from a nearby vehicle appeared to show him firing toward a blue Tesla before moving across the lot with the weapon.

Investigators have not announced a motive, and Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said Williams' family has been fully cooperative as detectives continue examining what led to the shooting. "Their hearts are also broken at this time," Hicks added.

Police also provided an update on the victims. Two injured people have been treated and released from the hospital, three remain in stable condition, and two remain in critical condition.

Witnesses described scenes of panic as the gunman moved through the drive-thru firing the AR-style rifle, and police later credited an armed bystander and an off-duty state trooper with limiting the carnage.

Witness Describes How the Shooting Unfolded

Hicks said investigators are confident the gunman acted alone. He also commended an off-duty state trooper and an armed citizen who confronted the shooter during the attack. "We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties," Hicks said. Authorities described the response as "very chaotic."

According to police, one In-N-Out employee dragged an injured co-worker across the parking lot while employees and bystanders rushed to help victims before paramedics arrived.

NBC News spoke with witness Lane Koehn, 34, who said he was stopped at a traffic light just outside the restaurant when he saw a man carrying an AR-style rifle emerge from the drive-thru. Koehn said bullets struck the vehicle in front of him as the gunman moved through the drive-thru toward his own car.

Koehn said he could see the gunman reacting to an armed person in the drive-thru who was returning fire with a handgun.

"I could tell he was trying to figure out where to go, and somebody in the drive-thru line with a handgun was shooting at him," Koehn said.

He described the gunman as "panicked," looking around and moving "kind of erratically." Koehn said he believes the exchange of gunfire kept the suspect from targeting more people nearby.

"The shooter was solely focused on him, and [it] allowed us to get out," Koehn told the outlet. "I mean, the car directly ahead of me was getting shot — it gave them time to leave."

Koehn said he did not know what happened before he reached the intersection, but estimated the portion of the incident he witnessed lasted about 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, another witness, Twin Falls resident Haley Dodaro, 43, told the Associated Press (AP) that she and her mother were waiting in the drive-thru for lunch when they saw people running across the road and employees rushing out of the restaurant.

Dodaro said she initially thought there had been a fire until a man directing traffic in a reflective vest told them there was a shooter. "So that's when we knew there was a shooting. People were running out crying and screaming. It was very scary," Dodaro recalled.

Two of the surviving witnesses, siblings Dominic Gonzales and Jaylyn Sanchez, have also shared what each did to stay alive.

Dominic Gonzales Tried to Shield His Younger Brothers

Gonzales had remained in a vehicle with his two younger siblings while Sanchez went inside the restaurant to order food. The seemingly ordinary wait changed in seconds.

“We were just sitting there, I was playing on my phone when I heard a couple pops and I look up and I see a gentleman walking from a white vehicle to another vehicle with a pistol in his hand [sic]," Gonzales recalled.

He continued, "He popped one shot at the vehicle, and that's when I ducked down, told my two brothers to duck down, and then periodically I would look up to see where he was at.” “Then I threw myself across the front just to take up space so if anything did come flying I was there.”

Meanwhile, Sanchez was trapped inside the restaurant, unaware of exactly what her siblings were seeing outside.

Jaylyn Sanchez Barricaded Herself Inside the Restroom Until She Came Face-to-Face with the Gunman

Sanchez had finished placing her order and was in the restroom when she heard the gunfire begin. Soon, she could hear people screaming and crying as others sought shelter in the same room. With no clear understanding of the shooter's location, Sanchez attempted to barricade the restroom door in case the armed man entered the restaurant.

The people hiding inside were eventually told that it was safe to leave. Sanchez then made her way outside and began running through the drive-thru area, desperate to reunite with her siblings. However, what waited for her outside proved that the danger was far from over.

"As I was running I faced the shooter head on and he pointed the gun at me [sic]," Sanchez revealed. "I ducked behind a white car just to have some sort of coverage."

While hiding, Sanchez noticed, "I saw a pistol on a gun case — I am guessing that was his — I didn't have anything to protect myself so I grabbed the gun and I pulled it back, it was jammed, so I just felt helpless. I saw the truck in front of me so I ran as fast as I could and I just threw it, got in the car and we left [sic]," she added.

Footage from a Witness Captured the Suspect After the Shooting

Another witness recorded what appeared to be part of the suspect's movements during the final minutes of the incident. The cellphone footage shows people fleeing the area as the armed man moved toward a white vehicle.

According to the video footage obtained by TMZ, the motorist filmed the suspect carrying a long gun as he approached the car. The man opened the driver-side door before popping the trunk and walking toward the rear of the vehicle.

He then reached inside the trunk, causing the motorist recording the scene to fear that he might be retrieving another weapon. The witness quickly drove away rather than remain close enough to discover what the suspect was reaching for.

The sequence was reportedly captured after the shooting but before Williams died from the self-inflicted gunshot wound.

An Off-Duty Trooper and Citizen Returned Fire

Police received the initial report of the shooting at 2:29 p.m. The restaurant was located within an outdoor shopping center. Before responding officers arrived, an off-duty state trooper and a citizen returned fire toward the suspect, according to the latest information released about the investigation.

Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies responded to the mass shooting. The Twin Falls Fire Department and Magic Valley Paramedics also arrived and assisted victims at the scene.

Investigators asked anyone possessing video recordings, photographs, or other digital evidence connected to the shooting to submit the material through the FBI tip line. People with additional information are also asked to contact the Twin Falls City Communications Center at (208) 735-4357.

In-N-Out Mourns Those Affected

Following the shooting, In-N-Out Owner and President Lynsi Snyder shared a public statement expressing grief over the tragedy and its impact on employees, customers, and their families. The Twin Falls restaurant was the company's 441st location.

Snyder confirmed on Instagram that one of the company's associates was among those killed during the shooting:

"She was taking care of our most important asset - our Customers, and her life was taken by a disgusting human who doesn't value the lives of others or his own. He shot both on our property and off, and ended his life shortly after he took the precious lives of our Associate and Customers, innocent people who never saw it coming."

She said the company would mourn alongside the victims' families while supporting employees and customers who witnessed the violence. Snyder described the loss as heartbreaking and encouraged people to seek comfort and strength rather than respond with anger.

She also pledged that In-N-Out would stand together with those affected and "do everything we can to learn from this situation."

Police Warn Against False Claims Online

According to KTVB 7, Hicks warned the public not to share another name that had begun circulating online, stressing that the individual has no connection to the shooting.

Before taking questions, he urged the public to rely on verified information rather than online speculation. "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 involvement in the case.

Online Posts Fuel Speculation

Even as police urged the public to rely on verified information, internet users began searching for details they believed could shed light on the suspect's background.

A widely shared post on X by @_0HOUR1 claimed users were "putting together a puzzle" on Williams after police identified him. The post suggested he may have left college and pointed to what it described as an X account that was last active in April.

It also included screenshots of older posts discussing careers in criminal investigation and federal law enforcement, along with what appeared to be a College of Southern Idaho (CSI) student profile.

Separately, publicly available CSI Student Senate meeting minutes from February 14, 2023, list a person named "Chad Williams" as a student senator. The meeting minutes document attendance and committee assignments but do not include additional identifying information beyond the name.