Video shows citizen firing at shooter near Idaho In-N-Out
Video shows a citizen firing shots to divert a mass shooter at In-N-Out drive-thru in Idaho during a shooting that left several dead and injured.
Authorities in Idaho on Aug. 7 released chilling new video taken from security cameras and officer body-worn cameras showing the deadly shooting that started at the Twin Falls In-N-Out Burger restaurant on Aug. 1.
The video shows the suspected gunman’s movements in detail, from the moment he pulled up through the restaurant’s drive-through in a white Honda Civic to when police officers finally encountered him on a trail when he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Officials say 10 people were struck by gunfire, with three people killed. As the video showed the shooting suspect making his way around the busy shopping center in Twin Falls that day, it also highlights moments of bravery and heroism by citizens who confronted him.
“Their actions absolutely saved lives,” Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said at an Aug. 7 news conference.
One of those “good Samaritans” was identified as Austin James, also known as AJ Scott, a former Twin Falls police officer and former Idaho state trooper. James was one of the people injured and gave authorities permission to release his identity, Hicks said. Hicks did not reveal the identities of the other injured victims.
James is not the same person as the off-duty trooper authorities say fired shots at the suspect, who has not been identified. Another unidentified citizen also shot at the suspect, police previously said.
Video shows shooter’s movements
The newly revealed video compiles different camera angles from security cameras inside the In-N-Out, at the restaurant’s drive-through, in nearby parking lots and inside the Twin Falls Visitor Center. Officer-worn body camera footage was also part of the video.
The shooting unfolded at about 2:30 p.m. local time on Aug. 1, at a time when hundreds of people were at the busy shopping plaza in Twin Falls where the In-N-Out Burger is located.
Police said a lone gunman opened fire at the restaurant, killing three people and injuring several in a “chaotic” scene that sent people fleeing into nearby businesses.
The video shows the suspect driving up to the drive-through payment window in his car. There, he shot his first victim, Ashley Garibay, through the window. She later died from her injuries at the hospital.
The suspect then pulled his car forward and parked, getting out of the car and shooting the second fatal victim, Christopher Claunch, who was in his car.
The video then shows James, the former law enforcement officer, running toward the drive-through and encountering the shooter. James was shot. He retreated and drew his handgun, preparing to engage the shooter, but due to his injury and blood loss, he was pulled back by others and given aid before going to a hospital, according to the video.
The shooting suspect then returned to the payment window, and fired again through it at employees who were trying to render aid to Garibay, until his handgun jammed, the video showed. He then returned to his car to get a rifle.
Video footage from inside the restaurant shows the unidentified off-duty trooper coming toward the window as about 10 employees scramble to escape. The off-duty trooper exchanged fire through the window with the gunman, who briefly retreated and returned again, firing and hitting another victim who was trying to help and render aid.
The suspected gunman left the drive-through lane and walked toward Blue Lakes Boulevard, where he fired shots at vehicles stopped at a light, hitting three more victims, police said in the video narration.
The unidentified armed citizen with a handgun then engaged the suspect with gunfire, as the suspect went toward a Tesla charging station. At the charging station, the suspect is seen on video firing at Teslas. In the first Tesla, he struck the eighth victim. In the second Tesla, he shot the ninth and 10th victims, one of whom, Dale Schultz, died.
As the shooter approached the Twin Falls Visitor Center, people began evacuating. He went inside, then walked out and encountered employees who were seen evacuating to a walking trail. One employee is seen on the video approaching the suspected gunman and talking to him, distracting him while others turned around and escaped. The suspect fired at the employee, then ran up the trail as officers approached.
Body camera showed officers pursuing the suspect up the trail until they located him off the trail. As an officer “challenges” him, the suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and fell into the canyon, the video narration said.
Good Samaritans included those who engaged the suspect with gunfire and others who were able to distract him, Hicks said.
“We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties,” Hicks previously said.
Idaho In-N-Out shooting rattles community
One witness to the shooting, Lane Koehn, told outlet KTVB-TV he was on his way home that afternoon sitting at a stop light when he saw shots begin to fly all around him, and saw a shooter wielding a rifle, seeming to shoot randomly at people in cars and through the restaurant drive-through window.
Hicks said the shooting was “by far the most extreme, complex and dangerous situation that is completely unprecedented for our community.”
The tragedy that rocked the Twin Falls community came just days after the new In-N-Out location had opened.
“It’s a small town still, so a lot of people know someone who was there or worked there. Saying it hits close to home is an understatement,” city spokesman Josh Palmer previously said.
“We will never forget what happened here,” Hicks said on Aug. 7.
Victims included In-N-Out employee, customers
Three people were killed in the shooting. They were identified as:
- Ashley Garibay, 23, of Stockton, California
- Dale Schultz, 66, of Salt Lake City, Utah
- Christopher Claunch, 59, of Hagerman, Idaho
Garibay was an employee at the restaurant. She was “taking care of” customers when she was shot, In-N-Out CEO Lynsi Snyder said in a statement.
“We will remember Ashley as a beloved friend and teammate whose dedication, pride, and compassion will never be forgotten,” In-N-Out said in a post on its Instagram.
Who was the shooting suspect?
Chad Williams, 24, was identified as the alleged gunman in the shooting at In-N-Out in Twin Falls, authorities have said.
According to authorities, both the trooper and an armed civilian shot at Williams, but his death was due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound after encountering police officers.
He was believed to have acted alone. Hicks said a motive was still unknown as of Aug. 7.
Contributing: N’dea Yancey-Bragg, Thao Nguyen, Amanda Lee Myers and Julia Gomez, USA TODAY; The Arizona Republic