'Heroic' bystander who fired at gunman suspected in deadly shooting at Idaho In-N-Out shares how he prepared for the danger



Jordan Salinas told the Idaho Statesman he pulled up to the In-N-Out Burger off of Blue Lakes Boulevard in Twin Falls around 2:30 p.m. Saturday when he saw people running out of the fast-food restaurant.

The 35-year-old thought it was a kitchen fire, the Statesman said — until he heard the “pop-pop-pop” of gunshots.

'As soon as some rounds started coming at him, everything changed ... all that bravado he had immediately crumbled.'

Salinas added to ABC News that he saw a person aiming a rifle at passing cars: "I peeked around the right-hand side of that sign closest to the road, and that's where I saw the individual with his rifle pointed at the vehicles."

Turns out Salinas happened upon a deadly shooting at the fast-food restaurant — which opened for business only last month — that took the lives of three victims and left seven others injured.

Salinas did not run from the danger; instead he ran toward it, the Statesman said, adding that Salinas characterized his response as “automatic” and “mechanical."

The paper said Salinas reached for his shoulder holster and pulled his FN Five-Seven — a semi-automatic gun with a suppressor on the barrel — and then went through four steps borrowed from the military that he'd been drilling every week for years.

More from the Statesman:

Observe. Salinas ran from the car, gun drawn. Video posted to social media shows a man slinking behind In-N-Out signs and shrubs, seeking out the source of the gunfire.

Orient. Hidden from view, he established sight lines. He reminded himself to stay disciplined on the trigger. Soon, he saw a man, who police later identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams, standing by the drive-through window. He watched as Williams lifted a rifle to his shoulder and fired toward cars.

Decide. “OK,” Salinas thought. “This is the guy.”

Act. He leveled his pistol with both hands and fired.

Salinas told ABC News the suspect seemed calm as he aimed at cars but that his demeanor shifted once shots were fired in his direction.

"He seemed unusually comfortable aiming that rifle at those cars," Salinas noted to the news network, adding that "as soon as some rounds started coming at him, everything changed ... all that bravado he had immediately crumbled."

RELATED: Suspect in deadly shooting at Idaho In-N-Out died of self-inflicted gunshot wound; 2 'heroic' bystanders fired at him: Police

Salinas told the Statesman he felt “no fear” before, during, or after pulling the trigger.

“There’s a task that needs to be done, and we’re the ones who need to do it,” he added to the paper.

Salinas wasn't alone in defending others that day. The other good guy with a gun was an off-duty state trooper, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks told the Associated Press, adding that their efforts diverted the gunman from the In-N-Out.

“We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties,” the chief said, according to the AP. “We want to take a moment and commend the actions of the off-duty officer and the citizen and their heroic action to stop this incident.”

Police who responded to the shooting found the body of the suspected gunman — identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams — in an area near the restaurant, Twin Falls spokesperson Josh Palmer said, according to the AP. The outlet, citing police, said the suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Salinas is a health care worker — the full-time caregiver of his wheelchair-bound brother — the Statesman said, adding that he began training seriously after a 2021 shooting at the Boise Towne Square mall took the lives of two victims and injured several more.

Gunmen, Salinas told the paper, went after “soft targets" — and that a person in a wheelchair and his aide would be as soft as they come.

So Salinas has been shooting on weekends and training in the desert outside of Eden, a small town in eastern Jerome County, the Statesman said.

However, the paper said Salinas had never even pointed his gun at an animal and never thought he’d need to use anything he was practicing.

“Everyone says, ‘It’s not going to happen here,’” Salinas noted to the Statesman. “But what if it does?”

On Sunday, the day after the deadly shooting, Salinas’ drinks at his regular coffee shop were on the house, the paper said, adding that friends and strangers shook his hand.

“My buddies are over at Sportsman’s buying ammo because of you,” a customer said, according to the Statesman.

The paper added that another customer opened his computer to a meme showing Salinas’ bearded silhouette in black against the yellow of a Gadsden flag with a pistol pointed across the screen — and underneath was a three-word phrase:

“Idaho shoots back.”

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Suspect in deadly shooting at Idaho In-N-Out died of self-inflicted gunshot wound; 2 'heroic' bystanders fired at him: Police



The suspect in a deadly shooting at an Idaho In-N-Out Burger over the weekend died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound — and two "heroic" bystanders fired at the suspect and diverted him from the scene, police said, according to the Associated Press.

Investigators said the gunman — identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams — acted alone during Saturday afternoon's shooting at the Twin Falls fast-food restaurant, Police Chief Matthew Hicks said at a news conference, the AP reported.

'People were running out crying and screaming. It was very scary.'

Hicks also said an off-duty state trooper and an armed citizen — whose identities weren’t immediately disclosed — both fired back and diverted the gunman from the In-N-Out, the outlet added.

“We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties,” the chief said, according to the AP. “We want to take a moment and commend the actions of the off-duty officer and the citizen, and their heroic action to stop this incident.”

Three victims died and seven others were injured in the shooting, the outlet noted, adding that authorities said Sunday two of the injured were treated at a hospital and released, three were listed as stable, and two were in critical condition.

Hicks said detectives are working to determine Williams’ motives and that the suspect’s family was cooperating fully with law enforcement, the AP reported. Hicks also warned of misinformation spreading online identifying a different male as the shooter, noting that the individual had “no involvement in this incident whatsoever," the outlet reported.

Police who responded to the shooting found the body of the suspected gunman in an area near the restaurant, Twin Falls spokesperson Josh Palmer said, according to the AP.

Palmer added to the outlet that investigators were interviewing witnesses. The In-N-Out location — which had opened about a week earlier on July 24 as part of the California-based company’s recent expansion to Idaho — is in a busy shopping plaza, and hundreds of people were in the area when the shooting occurred around 2 p.m., the AP said.

Lane Koehn, 34, told the outlet he was at a stoplight near the In-N-Out when he saw a person with an AR-style rifle emerge from the drive-thru while a man with a pistol started firing at the shooter.

Koehn then saw someone in an In-N-Out uniform drag a person also wearing a uniform — who was bleeding from a gunshot wound to her chest — across the parking lot, the AP reported. The employee, Koehn, and the man with the pistol stayed until paramedics arrived for her, the outlet added.

“She was pretty bad off, but I don’t know," Koehn told the AP. "I hope she made it."

RELATED: New bodycam video shows sheriff's deputies fatally shooting knife-wielding male who authorities say stabbed deputy

He said the shooter fired at least three or four rounds, but it was not clear if anyone in particular was targeted, the outlet said.

In-N-Out owner Lynsi Snyder said one of those killed was an employee, the AP reported.

“My heart is broken, my chest is heavy, my eyes burn from the tears I’ve shed. We lost one of our beautiful associates tonight,” Snyder said in a statement released early Sunday on social media, the outlet added. “In-N-Out will be mourning with the families and praying for them as they tread through a very painful season.”

Snyder did not identify the worker in question, the AP said. Officials were still trying to notify relatives of victims and therefore were not yet releasing the victims' names, ages or other details about them, Palmer said, according to the outlet.

More from the AP:

Video taken by a driver from across the street captured a shooter, who appeared to be dressed in black, walking up to a white car carrying a long rifle, opening the driver-side door and popping the trunk. The person then walked to the trunk and reached inside. At that point the driver who shot the video left quickly, fearing that the man might be getting more weapons.

Twin Falls resident Haley Dodaro, 43, and her mother went to In-N-Out for lunch Saturday afternoon. While waiting in the drive-thru line, they saw people running across the road and workers bolting out of the restaurant. At first, Dodaro thought there might have been a fire, but then a man directing traffic in a reflective vest said there was a shooter.

“So that’s when we knew there was a shooting. People were running out crying and screaming," Dodaro said in a text message to the outlet, the AP said. "It was very scary."

Nayeli Rodriguez, 40, of Burley, was inside waiting for food with her daughters when she heard shots from the kitchen, the outlet noted, adding that an employee said it was a shooting and told people to get down.

Rodriguez told the AP an older man tried to protect her and her daughters, and they were among the last to run outside.

“We were trying to get as far as we could and some angels let us in their car,” Rodriguez added to the outlet, also via text message. “I left my car there in the parking lot.”

Twin Falls is in southern Idaho and about two hours southeast of Boise.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Huge brawl at In-N-Out Burger caught on video; customers are seen running for cover: 'Did they order it animal style?'



A huge brawl at an Arizona In-N-Out Burger was caught on video early last week, and customers are seen running for cover in the clip.

Tempe police told KSAZ-TV they were called to the fast-food restaurant near Rural Road and Playa del Norte Drive just after 7 p.m. Monday.

'Bunch of future doctors and lawyers.'

The station said people were seen screaming and running for the door as the melee commenced.

In the clip, numerous individuals are seen trading punches, wrestling, and tackling each other all over the restaurant, KSAZ said.

A person who uploaded video of the fight told the station customers were "camping out" inside the restaurant during an active monsoon storm.

But by the time police arrived at the scene, all those involved in the brawl had already taken off, KSAZ said, adding that some fled on foot while others departed in cars.

The station said what sparked the fight is unknown, and no names have been released in connection with the case.

Police did tell KSAZ that officers were able to speak with witnesses and restaurant staff, and a follow-up investigation is under way.

RELATED: Male, 55, accused of grabbing 15-year-old by neck, throwing him to floor of In-and-Out Burger — and it's all caught on video

Commenters who posted reactions under the KSAZ video report showing the brawl were disgusted by it:

  • "Bunch of future doctors and lawyers," one commenter wrote.
  • "Did they order it animal style?" another commenter quipped, referencing an In-N-Out Burger serving option.
  • "Stay in school, kids," another commenter suggested. "This is what happens when you drop out and become a loser. Becoming violent and then running away speaks volumes about your level of education."
  • "In my day we took it outside," another commenter recalled. "Not in front of women and children."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

'Shark Tank' Legend Destroys Economy Narrative w/ One Fact
play icon

'Shark Tank' Legend Destroys Economy Narrative w/ One Fact

After 77 years, In-N-Out is moving to Tennessee — here's why



During the pandemic, In-N-Out was among the very few companies that immediately stood up against the tyrannical measures to force the vaccine on unwilling citizens.

In a statement sent to ABC7 News in San Francisco at the time, the burger chain indicated that it would “refuse to become the vaccination police for any government.”

“We fiercely disagree with any government dictate that forces a private company to discriminate against customers who choose to patronize their business. This is clear governmental overreach and is intrusive, improper, and offensive,” the company’s statement said.

“There were so many pressures and just hoops we were having to jump through. You know, ‘You’ve got to do this, they have to wear a mask, you have to put this plastic thing up between us and our customers,’” Lynsi Snyder, president of In-N-Out Burger, tells BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey on “Relatable.”


“But that was definitely where we held the line. ... We’re not policing our customers,” she continues.

After its refusal to bow down to the vaccine mandates, In-N-Out was “shut down for a brief moment,” but Snyder believes “it was worth it.”

Now, In-N-Out is building an office in Franklin, Tennessee, a place that did not see the same authoritarian response.

Snyder is moving herself and her family to Tennessee along with it.

“Number one priority is really keeping the company the same company that my grandparents started as,” she tells Stuckey. “I want the legacy to continue.”

“We don’t want to be in every state, and we don’t want to ever compromise our values and standards and the cornerstones that my grandparents laid down,” she continues, adding, “so it’s really just keeping those priorities at the forefront when we make decisions.”

Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Exclusive: In-N-Out president says for the first time her family is moving out of California to a red state



The president of the iconic California hamburger company In-N-Out has announced for the first time that California's policies have driven her family to move to a red state.

Lynsi Snyder made the comments to Allie Beth Stuckey on the Blaze Media podcast "Relatable," which was published Friday. The company had previously announced that they were expanding into Tennessee, but Snyder went on to explain that her entire family had decided to move from California.

'Raising a family is not easy here. Doing business is not easy here.'

"We're building an office in Franklin, so I'm actually moving out there," Snyder said.

"How do you feel about that?" Stuckey asked. "You're a California girl through and through, right?"

"Yeah. I really loved living in Northern California, and I am so thankful that I grew up there because I think it changed a lot of who I am today," Snyder replied. "I think I would be different if I had been raised in Southern California."

She went on to say that there were a lot of great things about California but that the state's policies had driven her out.

"Raising a family is not easy here. Doing business is not easy here," she explained. "Now, the bulk of our stores are still going to be here in California, but it will be wonderful having an office out there, growing out there, and being able to have the family and other people's families out there."

RELATED: In-N-Out Burger donates $25,000 to California GOP, and leftists are not happy, call for boycott

In-n-Out President Lynsi Snyder reveals for the first time that she and her family are LEAVING California for Tennessee. “Raising a family is not easy here,” she told me. “Doing business is not easy here.”

After 77 years, In-n-Out HQ will say goodbye to its home state and set… pic.twitter.com/yorQTiRXzx
— Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) July 18, 2025

Snyder said the company would give her employees a "longer runway" to make it easier to plan the move out by 2030.

Stuckey asked if she was still tied to the line of demarcation she had set against growing into the East Coast, and Snyder suggested that line was softening.

"Florida has begged us, and we're still saying no. The East Coast states, we're still saying no," Snyder said.

Snyder, who is the granddaughter of the founders of In-N-Out, also talked about her path of developing her Christian faith. She said that keeping the high standards for the company was a part of her showing her faith in God and respect for her parents and grandparents.

RELATED: In-N-Out Burger reportedly takes new bold stance about employees wearing face masks

"Lynsi shares the untold story of In-n-Out’s early years and the hardship she went through before becoming the successful business leader she is," Stuckey said about the interview.

"She has an incredible testimony and is so passionate about serving God and glorifying Him in everything she and the company does," Stuckey said. "Her journey to Jesus is raw and redemptive. You will be so encouraged."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The ultimate burger showdown: Whataburger vs. In-N-Out



If you have ever lived in Texas (or if you have ever met a Texan), you have heard of Whataburger.

With 740 locations in Texas alone, the iconic orange and white combo permeates the culture in a way that rivals no other fast food chain I’ve ever seen. Whataburger embodies “go big or go home.”

However, as the Californians have migrated to the Lone Star State, they brought In-N-Out with them. The Californian chain has cropped up in 43 locations, and it’s caused quite the divide. Their Christian values feel right at home in South, but challenging the state burger has ruffled some feathers.

The score must be settled. One burger must reign supreme. So we conducted an experiment.

Grace, a New Hampshire native, recently moved to Texas. Since her palate had not yet been exposed to either Whataburger or In-N-Out, she was the perfect test subject.

We devised a super-detailed, ultra-specific, rigidly-scientific process to test the merits of the warring burger joints.

1. Acquire the burgers

The two burgers had to be as similar as possible. A classic Number One with cheese from Whataburger with fries (and its patented spicy ketchup on the side, of course). A Combo Number Two cheeseburger with fries from In-N-Out. Sticking to the basics was essential if the chains were to be judged by merit alone. The Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit will have to wait.

2. Remove all branding

The orange and white packaging was discarded along with the Bible-verse-adorned bag. The burgers and fries were placed on plates, and then we were ready to bring in our subject.

3. Taste the burgers

Since we neglected to bring a blindfold for our blind tasting, Grace used the honor system and kept her eyes closed during the tasting. Unbeknownst to her, we served her the Whataburger burger and fries first. In-N-Out was next.

4. Tabulate the results

After we guided Grace’s hands to the Whataburger fries, the reception to the Texas classic was positive. However, she noted that “they need[ed] more salt.” According to Grace, most things need more salt. The burger was received with a bit less enthusiasm.

The In-N-Out fries were deemed soggier than the Whataburger fries. They also required more salt. In a fortunate turn of events for the Californians, the burger was immediately proclaimed superior to Whataburger’s.

Apparently, the ideal meal is fries from Whataburger and a cheeseburger from In-N-Out. But, as there can be only one winner, Grace announced that In-N-Out took the cake.

For all the Whataburger loyalists out there (like me), don’t despair. In-N-Out doesn’t have a Sweet and Spicy Bacon Burger or a Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit. There are just some things that the simplicity of the In-N-Out cheeseburger can’t beat.

But it’s safe to say that the Californian chain’s values are worth supporting. The Bible verses hidden on the packaging reflect IN-N-OUT owner and president Lynsi Snyder’s personal faith in Jesus. So maybe it’s worth switching it up once in a while to support a company that values faith in Christ.

If it counts for anything, Whataburger is still better (in my humble Texan opinion). But I digress.

In-N-Out Burger confirms customers can thank Democrats for higher menu prices: 'The economy is kind of bad'



In-N-Out Burger, the most recognizable California fast-food chain, has raised its menu prices because of a new minimum-wage law in California.

Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a law increasing the state-mandated minimum wage at fast-food restaurants from $16 per hour to $20 per hour. The law took effect on April 1.

'When I came to In-N-Out and I was spending $20 on a meal, it's definitely something that I did not expect at all.'

Democrats who supported the law said it was necessary to provide workers with a living wage. But there are consequences of forcing restaurants to raise their minimum wages by 25% because employers rarely absorb the cost of increased wages. Typically, they pass the cost onto the consumer or their employees (in the form of layoffs). And almost immediately after Newsom signed the law, some employers announced layoffs. Other fast-food chains raised their prices or said they would increase automation.

Earlier this year, In-N-Out president Lynsi Snyder said that she didn't want to raise menu prices out of an "obligation" to her customers.

But that's exactly what the burger chain was forced to do.

"On April 1st, we raised our prices incrementally to accompany a pay raise for all of the Associates working in our California restaurants. The price increase was also necessary to maintain our quality standards," In-N-Out confirmed to KTVU-TV.

Now, the starting minimum wage for In-N-Out employees is between $22 to $23 per hour, depending on the restaurant location.

Menu board at In-N-Out burger restaurant in Pleasant Hill, California, September 30, 2013. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

The price of a double-double meal — which includes a burger, fries, and a drink — now costs as much as $13.63 in San Francisco, KRON-TV reported. The same meal costs about $11.44 in Los Angeles County, according to KTLA-TV.

The Democrat-instituted mimimim-wage hike is directly responsible for the price increase, an In-N-Out spokesperson confirmed to KTLA.

Customers, meanwhile, said they understand the prices because they recognize the economy is "bad."

"The price increase? I understand because the economy is kind of bad. Food's going up, all type of stuff," frequent In-N-Out patron Chris Hachlica told KTVU.

"Especially coming from Georgia, California prices are a little bit higher. But when I came to In-N-Out and I was spending $20 on a meal, it's definitely something that I did not expect at all," Khalil Coleman told KTVU.

News of In-N-Out's sticker shock comes after an analysis from the Hoover Institute discovered that California's new minimum wage law has cost the state more than 10,000 jobs.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

In-N-Out shocks Oakland residents by closing city's only location despite turning a profit — and high crime is to blame



In-N-Out Burger is planning to shutter its only Oakland, California, location.

The burger joint's lone restaurant in the Bay Area-city has been operating for nearly two decades, and, importantly, it is profitable. But the company announced over the weekend that high crime in the Democrat-controlled city has made it impossible to operate safely.

"Despite taking repeated steps to create safer conditions, our Customers and Associates are regularly victimized by car break-ins, property damage, theft, and armed robberies," In-N-Out chief operating officer Denny Warnick said in a statement. "[T]his location remains a busy and profitable one for the company, but our top priority must be the safety and wellbeing of our Customers and Associates — we cannot ask them to visit or work in an unsafe environment."

Patrons who frequent the restaurant said they are sad about the closure. Unfortunately, they understand why In-N-Out made the decision.

"I'm definitely frustrated," Oakland resident Jenny Goeppner told KPIX-TV. "Because if it's not In-N-Out, it's something else tomorrow."

Resident Darryl Brown added, "These are people's jobs, and it's essential to have jobs so we can spend money in the community."

Oakland, like most other Democrat-controlled cities, is experiencing significant problems with crime. Specifically, crimes like motor vehicle thefts, burglaries, and robberies have skyrocketed in the city.

The In-N-Out in Oakland, which sits just two miles away from Oakland International Airport, has been hit particularly hard by the crime wave.

In fact, security guards who work in the area recently told the San Francisco Standard that they take more calls from the In-N-Out than any other patrol location in the city, with multiple vehicle break-ins happening daily.

"On a regular day, I'd say five," one security guard told the news outlet. "On a bad day, I can't even get a report in because it's back-to-back."

In-N-Out said that impacted employees can transfer to other In-N-Out locations in the Bay Area or they may choose to receive a severance package. The restaurant will officially close on March 24.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

In-N-Out Burger reportedly takes new bold stance about employees wearing face masks: 'Smiles and other facial features'



In-N-Out Burger, the popular California-based burger chain, is reportedly barring employees in certain states from wearing face masks without explicit medical direction.

Company leadership issued new employee policies last week barring workers in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and Utah from wearing face masks at work unless they have a doctor's note.

The policy is meant to prioritize In-N-Out Burger's "exceptional customer service."

"We are introducing new mask guidelines that emphasize the importance of customer service and the ability to show our Associates smiles and other facial features while considering the health and well-being of all individuals," the company told employees in a message. "We believe this policy will also help to promote clear and effective communication both with our Customers and among our Associates."

Employees in California and Oregon, meanwhile, can still wear masks but are limited to company-provided N-95 masks in the absence of a doctor's note, the company told employees.

Any employee who violates the policy will be subject to disciplinary measures up to termination. The policy change takes effect on Aug. 14.

In-N-Out Burger is known for taking bold stances.

The company, which prints Bible verses on its products, made headlines in 2021 for refusing to enforce San Francisco's COVID-19 vaccine policy that required businesses to verify the vaccine status of customers.

The company said at the time:

We refuse to become the vaccination police for any government. It is unreasonable, invasive, and unsafe to force our restaurant Associates to segregate Customers into those who may be served and those who may not, whether based on the documentation they carry, or any other reason.

We fiercely disagree with any government dictate that forces a private company to discriminate against customers who choose to patronize their business. This is clear governmental overreach and is intrusive, improper, and offensive.

TheBlaze reached out to In-N-Out Burger for comment, but the company did not return a message.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!