Chad Williams motive: What we know so far as police say Idaho Twin Falls mass shooting suspect 'acted alone'
On Sunday afternoon, amid a slew of misinformation about the deceased suspect of the Twin Falls, Idaho mass shooting, authorities identified him as 24-year-old Chad Williams. Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said at a press conference confirmed that Williams “acted alone.”
The mass shooting took place at an In-N-Out restaurant in Twin Falls, in Idaho’s Magic Valley region, on Saturday afternoon around 2:29pm MDT. Three people were killed, and at least seven others were injured.
Chad Williams Motive: What We Know
Even as the suspect’s identity is out, questions over his background and motive behind the shooting remain. The Twin Falls Police Department has not confirmed the motive, saying that it is under investigation. Chad Williams’ family is also cooperating in the investigation, the police said.
Chief Hicks added that the detectives are investigating the case and the unidentified parents have a huge role to play in the probe. It was not immediately clear from the press conference if 24-year-old Chad Williams was from Idaho.
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The FBI is also investigating Saturday afternoon’s mass shooting. On Sunday, the agency requested bystanders and witnesses to share videos of the incident to aid in the investigation.
How Chad Williams Died
Police Chief Matthew Hicks said at Sunday’s press conference that Chad Williams was confronted by an active-duty state trooper and an armed citizen, identified in some reports as Jordan Salinas. Authorities, however, did not release the armed citizen’s identity. Williams, meanwhile, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Hicks confirmed.
“We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties,” Hicks told reporters Sunday. 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.”
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What We Know About The Victims
As of now, the Twin Falls Police Department has not released the identity of the victims killed in Saturday’s shooting. In-N-Out restaurant, where the incident took place, confirmed in a statement that among the three killed was an employee of the company. Another injured employee victim, driver Terry Dudley, is “alive but has a very long road ahead of him,” In-N-Out said.
“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,” In-N-Out owner Lynsi Snyder said earlier in a statement.
“In-N-Out will be mourning with the families and praying for them as they tread through a very painful season.”