In-N-Out shooting suspect had Arizona ties

Chad Williams, 24, whose records show he came from a suburb on the western edge of Phoenix, said he wanted to help people. He wrote in a college biography that he was majoring in nursing and wanted to pursue a career in healthcare.

But three years ago, things took a turn. He was impeached as a student senator at the College of Southern Idaho for lack of engagement. He later left college without a degree. He appeared to lean heavily into right-wing posts on X, concerned about crime, the restriction of gun rights and immigration enforcement.

"Hi, I'm Chad. I enjoy a variety of entertainment including combat sports, role-playing, history, and gaming. I'm majoring in nursing and after graduating will pursue further education while working in healthcare," he introduced himself to the student body in 2023.

A former classmate told The Arizona Republic on Aug. 3 that Williams' transformation from student leader to mass shooter was shocking.

Elijah Moseley, who was in student government as well, said Williams lived across the hall from him and remembered him as an encouraging friend who joked and smiled a lot. Williams was an introvert, "but it was kind of how he liked it," Moseley said. "He didn't need a lot of attention."

Williams was impeached from his role in 2023, but former pro-tempore Moseley said the move was procedural, not personal. To keep the scholarship associated with the student government role, he said, members had to meet certain requirements, including holding office hours, attending meetings and helping plan events.

"He just wasn't as involved anymore, wasn't as interested, wasn't attending as much," Moseley said.

They lost touch over the past year. Moseley said he was "heartbroken" to hear about the shooting, which he described as "wrong" and "evil." He said he wasn't sure what may have transpired in Williams' life leading up to the shooting.

"All I know is what he was to me, back in the day," Moseley said.

Police said Williams opened fire at a newly opened In-N-Out in Twin Falls, killing three people and injuring several others. Two armed bystanders confronted Williams, who then turned a gun on himself, according to police. Two people had been treated and discharged, three were in stable condition and two were in critical condition, according to the Twin Falls Police Department.

Kara Fort, a longtime Twin Falls resident, told The Republic she was waiting in line with her daughters, 11 and 15, at a soda shop a couple hundred yards away from the In-N-Out a few minutes before the shooting unfolded.

Fort, who was born and raised in Arizona and worked for The Republic in the early 2000s, said they didn’t initially see any emergency vehicles or hear any shots. But they later had to lock down in a nearby mall.

In the chaos, there were reports that there might be multiple shooters, including one in the mall. It was like “being in a bad movie,” Fort said.

“I’m gathering my kids, we’re saying a prayer and just waiting to see it all unfold,” Fort said.

She “never in a million years” expected to see this kind of attack in Twin Falls, a city of approximately 56,000. Her daughter’s former volleyball coach was among the people injured after he reportedly confronted the shooter, who Fort said wasn't "well-known" in the community.

Fort said she went to In-N-Out — a “big deal” for small Twin Falls — on opening day in late July.

“It is the last place you would expect something like this to happen,” Fort said.

College of Southern Idaho officials confirmed Williams attended between 2022 and 2023, but did not graduate with a credential, according to a statement from university president Dr. L. Dean Fisher. Idaho records do not indicate Williams obtained a nursing license.

Williams had a previous address in Waddell, Arizona, according to public records.

Waddell is an unincorporated community roughly 30 miles west of Phoenix near Surprise. The address associated with Williams is located in an upscale neighborhood, The Arizona Republic found. Neighbors said the family who lived there kept to themselves but were good people who decorated for each holiday.

Nobody answered the door at the Williams home on Aug. 3, which neighbors said was not uncommon for the family. A flag flying outside the house commemorated America's 250th anniversary.

An X account that appeared to belong to a Chad Williams included a profile description with a reference to "AZ boys state 2019." A post on the account also referenced Waddell as Williams' hometown.

"Why is a 4-6 year degree required, on top of a 13 year public education of K-12, to be a basic deportation officer or criminal investigator at ICE?" he wrote in a 2025 response to a post by Trump administration advisor Stephen Miller.

"How did our forefathers found a nation, write law, enforce it, and police borders without these credentials? And do it better?" Williams said in the post, a year before police said he went on his rampage.

Twin Falls Police Department did not have any updates on the condition of those injured or the status of the investigation as of Aug. 3.

"We, too, are struggling to understand how something so senseless and tragic could happen here and how so many lives could be changed in an instant," wrote Twin Falls City Manager Travis Rothweiler in a statement provided by police.

In-N-Out president Lynsi Snyder confirmed that an employee of the California-based burger chain was among the people fatally shot over the weekend.  

"IN-N-OUT will be mourning with the families and praying for them as they tread through this very painful season," Snyder wrote in a social media post.