Idaho police release video showing bystanders confronting In-N-Out gunman

Coverage spread: 4 sources — 2 left · 2 right

Lean ratings via AllSides / Media Bias-Fact-Check. How this works.

Where they agree

The shooting began when Chad Williams, 24, shot employee Ashley Garibay and customer Christopher Claunch at the In-N-Out drive-thru before moving to a nearby street and a Tesla charging station, killing Dale Schultz.
Three named responders/bystanders are credited with slowing the attack: former officer Austin James (wounded), an unidentified off-duty state trooper, and an unarmed bystander who distracted Williams on a walking trail.
Williams died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on a nearby trail as police approached, and no motive had been determined as of Friday’s briefing.
All outlets rely on the same police-released, edited surveillance/bodycam compilation and Chief Matthew Hicks’ news conference for details.

Where they differ

The New York Post frames its account around dramatic “hero” narrative and highlights a third armed good Samaritan shot while aiding the trooper, emphasizing action-movie pacing of the footage.
The Guardian gives the most attention to the unarmed bystander on the walking trail, quoting Hicks’ direct praise of him and noting police declined to release his identity.
Fox News is most precise about correcting misinformation, noting police clarified that Austin (AJ) Scott/James was NOT the same person as the off-duty trooper, a distinction blurred in earlier reporting.
CBS News uniquely includes a witness account from Braxton Stuebe, a nearby Dick’s Sporting Goods employee who says he came face-to-face with Williams and talked him down momentarily.

Twin Falls, Idaho police on Friday released surveillance and bodycam video from the Aug. 1 mass shooting at an In-N-Out Burger that killed three people and wounded seven others. The footage shows gunman Chad Williams, 24, moving from the restaurant’s drive-thru through the parking lot to a nearby street and visitor center, while a former police officer, an off-duty state trooper, and unarmed bystanders confronted or distracted him along the way before he killed himself as officers closed in on a walking trail.

What does the video show happened, step by step?

According to the released footage and police narration, Williams pulled his white Honda Civic into the In-N-Out drive-thru around 2:29 p.m. and shot restaurant employee Ashley Garibay, 23, of Stockton, California, through the payment window; she later died at a hospital. He then pulled forward, got out of the car, and shot 59-year-old Christopher Claunch of Hagerman, Idaho, who was in his own vehicle in line; Claunch died at the scene.

Austin James (also referred to as “AJ Scott” in some accounts), a former Twin Falls police officer and former Idaho State Police trooper, ran toward the gunfire and was shot by Williams. He drew his own handgun but, weakened by blood loss, was pulled into a car by bystanders and driven off for medical help. His father said on Facebook that he faces a long recovery involving multiple surgeries.

Williams returned to the payment window and fired again at employees who were tending to Garibay, then his handgun jammed. He went back to his car for a rifle and entered the restaurant area. Inside, an unidentified off-duty Idaho State Police trooper helped evacuate employees and customers, moved toward the payment window, and exchanged gunfire with Williams. A bystander trying to help the trooper and aid a victim inside was also shot.

Williams then left the restaurant on foot, walking toward Blue Lakes Boulevard, where he fired at vehicles stopped at a red light, wounding three more people. He continued to a nearby Tesla charging station at a visitor center parking lot and fired at people in two Teslas, killing 66-year-old Dale Schultz of Salt Lake City. Ten people in total were shot across these locations, police said.

How did the shooting end?

Fleeing toward a walking trail near the visitor center, Williams encountered two people, including an unarmed young man who put his hands up and spoke to him. Police Chief Matthew Hicks said that man’s calm engagement — described by one witness, Braxton Stuebe, who said he told Williams “I have a family… you don’t have to do this” — distracted the gunman and gave others time to escape. Williams then continued onto the trail and killed himself with a self-inflicted gunshot as police closed in near a canyon.

Who is being credited as helping prevent more deaths?

Hicks publicly praised three people during Friday’s news conference: the unarmed bystander who confronted Williams on the trail, the off-duty state trooper who exchanged fire with him inside the restaurant and helped evacuate staff, and Austin James, the former officer wounded while running toward the gunfire. Hicks called the trail bystander a hero directly, saying his composure and selflessness likely gave others time to flee, and said the off-duty trooper acted “heroically and unbelievably” to slow the shooter down. None of these individuals, aside from James, has been officially named by police.

Is a motive known yet?

No. Investigators, including Chief Hicks, said as of Friday’s briefing they still had not determined why Williams carried out the attack. Police believe he acted alone.

Why does this video matter?

Police released an edited, roughly eight-and-a-half-minute compilation combining surveillance and bodycam footage, blurring faces and omitting graphic images, in part to correct misinformation that had spread online — including confusion over which armed responder was which. The release also let Twin Falls officials publicly credit specific unnamed civilians and off-duty personnel whose actions, they said, likely reduced the death toll during a rampage that moved rapidly across multiple public locations: a fast-food drive-thru, a public street, and a visitor center parking lot.

Sources

Featured photo: Lepton4181 at English Wikipedia via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)