This article recounts how Jordan Salinas, a 35-year-old Idaho resident who survived a previous mass shooting, confronted a gunman at a Twin Falls In-N-Out drive-thru, the actions he took during the incident, and the aftermath as community members and authorities described events.
Jordan Salinas had already lived through a mass shooting in 2021 and described feeling like a victim the first time. When gunfire erupted at the Twin Falls In-N-Out, he said he would not be a victim again and moved to intervene.
Salinas was sitting in the drive-thru with his girlfriend, briefly stopping before a planned afternoon of horseback riding, when he noticed people fleeing the restaurant. He initially assumed there was a fire, but then he heard the unmistakable “pop-pop-pop” of gunfire and knew he had to act.
“Salinas reached for his shoulder holster and drew an FN Five-Seven — a semi-automatic pistol with a suppressor fixed to the barrel,” and, despite protests from his girlfriend, ran towards the trouble and enacted the response framework he had practiced so many times before. Observe. Orient. Decide. Act.
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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.
Decide. “OK,” Salinas thought. “This is the guy.”
Act. He leveled his pistol with both hands, and fired.
Another customer inside the restaurant, an off-duty police officer, also returned fire, and the two men together engaged the shooter. The gunman, identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams, later died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Twin Falls County Sheriff Jack Johnson later commended the two who fired back, saying, “These people are true heroes in our community. They diverted the shooter and without a doubt saved many lives.”
Salinas has been explicit that his willingness to act came from prior trauma and preparation. After witnessing the 2021 shooting at the Boise Towne Square Mall, where two people were killed and others injured, he increased his training and rehearsed a four-step framework to guide rapid decisions in crisis.
He remembered that previous shooter targeting softer, more vulnerable people, and that memory sharpened his focus on protecting those he cares for, including his wheelchair-bound brother for whom he is a caregiver. That personal context shaped how he assessed the threat and why he moved toward the danger rather than away from it.
Videos and social media reactions circulated quickly, showing Salinas moving behind cover and engaging the shooter. Community response included visible support and memes referencing the incident, one depicting a silhouette and the phrase “Idaho shoots back.” Local patrons greeted him with gratitude when he made a brief stop at a coffee shop the following day.
Salinas downplayed his role in public remarks, stating simply, “There’s a task that needs to be done, and we’re the ones who need to do it.” That line underscores his view that decisive action in such moments is a responsibility for those who are prepared to respond.
Medical and law enforcement details reported that Salinas received attention after the incident, and investigators continued to review video and witness statements to reconstruct movements and timing. Officials emphasized the coordination of civilian response and the role it played in limiting further harm that afternoon.
The incident left a community grappling with the sudden violence and the experience of seeing bystanders step in to stop it. For Salinas, the episode was another wrenching reminder of trauma and the calculus of preparedness, while for others it raised questions about training, split-second decision-making, and how communities react when danger appears without warning.
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