In-N-Out president calls Idaho gunman 'disgusting human' after employee killed in mass shooting
TWIN FALLS, IDAHO: In-N-Out Burger president Lynsi Snyder has paid an emotional tribute to an employee killed in the deadly mass shooting at the chain's Twin Falls, Idaho, restaurant, describing the gunman as "a disgusting human who doesn't value the lives of others or his own."
The shooting unfolded on Saturday afternoon at the newly opened In-N-Out Burger, leaving two people dead, including one restaurant associate, and seven others injured before the suspected gunman fatally shot himself, according to authorities.
Lynsi Snyder mourns employee killed in Twin Falls mass shooting
In a statement issued hours after the attack, Snyder said she was devastated by the loss of one of the company's employees and extended her condolences to everyone affected by the tragedy.
"My heart is broken, my chest is heavy, my eyes burn from the tears I've shed," Snyder said.
"We lost one of our beautiful Associates tonight. 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 others or his own."
Snyder said the gunman fired both on and off the restaurant property before taking his own life.
"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," she added.
The In-N-Out president said the company would continue standing beside the victims' families, employees, and customers as they cope with the aftermath of the shooting.
"We will be mourning with the families and praying for them," Snyder wrote.
She also urged people to seek comfort through faith rather than anger.
"I love you all, and I ask you to turn to God, not in anger, but seeking comfort and strength for those who are hurting," she said. "We will stand together, and we will do everything we can to learn from this situation.".
Twin Falls In-N-Out shooting leaves two dead and seven injured
According to police, the shooting began at around 2 pm before spilling from the restaurant into the parking lot, creating what Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks described as "a very chaotic" scene.
Witnesses reported seeing a man carrying what appeared to be an AR-style rifle before an armed civilian confronted him. Video from the scene appeared to show the suspect walking through the parking lot, firing toward a blue Tesla before running away with the rifle still in hand.
Authorities later identified the shooter as 24-year-old Chad Williams. Police said he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after carrying out the attack. Officials also confirmed that Williams acted alone.
The identities of the two people killed have not yet been publicly released by authorities, though Snyder confirmed one of the victims was an In-N-Out employee. Police said two of the seven injured victims have been discharged from the hospital, three remain in stable condition, and two are in critical condition.
The FBI is assisting local authorities as investigators continue working to determine what motivated the shooting.
