Monday, 3 August 2026, 18:44
On Saturday at 2:29 p.m., the Twin Falls City Communications Center received 911 calls reporting gunfire at an In-N-Out Burger in a busy shopping plaza. According to the Twin Falls Police Department, three people were killed and seven others were wounded. Two victims were treated and released, three were in stable condition, and two remained in critical condition as of Sunday, the Associated Press reported.
The shooter, later identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Investigators believe Williams acted alone. They have not yet determined a motive.
An off-duty Idaho State Police trooper and a civilian fired on Williams during the attack. Police said their actions helped drive him away from the restaurant and may have prevented more deaths.
Stocktonia reported that friends and family identified 23-year-old Ashley Garibay of Stockton as one of the people killed. National outlets, including The Guardian, also reported her identity based on social media posts from loved ones. Authorities were still working to notify all families as of Monday.
Garibay's uncle, Marcos, told KCRA 3 that she had been sent to Twin Falls to help train employees at the new restaurant. He said the family was notified of her death on Saturday evening, and her father, who was in Mexico, returned to Stockton on Monday.
In a separate account, ABC7 spoke with the family of a 24-year-old West Covina woman who survived the shooting. She had been sent to Idaho to help train employees at the newly opened restaurant. Her family said she ran for safety and hid next door when gunfire erupted. More than 24 hours later, her phone was still part of the crime scene, leaving her family unable to reach her directly.
In-N-Out President Lynsi Snyder confirmed that one of the company's employees was among those killed. She said the company would mourn with the victims' families and expressed concern for employees and customers who witnessed the attack.
In a statement, Snyder said, "My heart is broken, my chest is heavy, my eyes burn from the tears I've shed." She described Garibay as "one of our beautiful associates" and said, "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 other people or his own." She added, "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."
Reporting discrepancy: Stocktonia says the victim from Stockton was 23 years old and identifies her as Ashley Garibay. ABC7's report about the survivor describes her as a 24-year-old West Covina woman. The two sources also differ on how long the restaurant had been open, with Stocktonia saying it opened late last month and ABC7 reporting it had been open for just over a week. KCRA later confirmed the restaurant opened on July 24, supporting ABC7's timeline.
The shooting has sent ripples through Stockton in San Joaquin County and West Covina in Los Angeles County. The Stockton victim's loved ones used social media to mourn publicly while waiting for official confirmation. In West Covina, Michael and Nikki Ahern described their daughter as traumatized and said they were desperate for her to return home. They also said they had not received direct updates from In-N-Out, though the company told them it was flying her back to Southern California.
In-N-Out, a beloved California fast-food chain, has been expanding beyond its home state. The Twin Falls location opened on July 24, 2026, as part of the company's Idaho growth. This shooting marks one of the first major violent incidents at a new out-of-state location.
Police are still investigating why Chad Williams carried out the attack. They have not publicly released the official names of the victims, pending family notifications. In-N-Out has not yet responded to ABC7's questions about employee support and communication. The Stockton community and the broader California audience are waiting for answers as the investigation continues.
