The three people killed in the Idaho In-N-Out shooting included a restaurant employee and a local man known for guiding others into sobriety, authorities said.
Officials on Tuesday released the names of those who died after a 24-year-old gunman opened fire at the In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls. Police said they believe he acted alone, and the motive remains under investigation.
Those killed were identified as Ashley Garibay, 23, of Stockton, California. Dale Schultz, 66, of Salt Lake City. And Christopher “Toph” Claunch, 59, of Hagerman, Idaho, about 28 miles northwest of Twin Falls.
Hundreds gathered Tuesday night for a community vigil in a Twin Falls park. Attendees held candles and roses, wrote messages on large blue heart cutouts set on three crosses, and stood together in prayer.
Teresa Yocham of Twin Falls said she came to show support, describing the shooting as sickening and adding, “We are strong as a community and we come together in hard times.”
Idaho In-N-Out shooting victims remembered
Garibay worked on a traveling training team for the California-based burger chain. Her family said she loved her job, calling her an “amazing, beautiful soul” who was adventurous, outgoing, and driven.
She began her career with the company in Stockton and hoped to manage a store one day. The company operates locations across the West, including in Idaho, from its headquarters in California.
Claunch had completed a rehabilitation program for alcohol use in Idaho several years ago and was soon hired by the same center, according to his friend Garren Taylor. Known as “Toph,” Claunch devoted himself to helping others get sober and “helped hundreds of people,” Taylor said.
Gregory Glenn, pastoral administrator for the Madeleine Choir School in Salt Lake City, described Schultz as a “beloved alumni parent” and “gifted artist” in a social media post. He said Schultz’s wife was wounded in the attack and remains hospitalized.
Investigation and response
Authorities established a support center for those affected, including a process to request or recover personal items left at the scene. City officials said flags will fly at half-staff through next week.
Police said the attack on Saturday ended when the suspected gunman, identified as Chad Williams, died by suicide.
Witnesses described chaos in and around the restaurant as shots rang out. One customer said she and her daughters were inside when they heard gunfire from the kitchen area and were told to get down.
Others in the drive-thru watched people flee as an individual directing traffic warned of a shooter. A driver at a nearby stoplight reported seeing a person with an AR-style rifle emerge from the drive-thru, followed by another man firing a pistol toward the suspect.
During the incident, an off-duty state trooper and a civilian fired at Williams, drawing him away from the restaurant, police said. A similar mass shooting in a public venue this year left several dead in Seattle, where a food festival shooting also shook the community.
Injured recovering
Among the wounded was motorcyclist Steven Pixley, who was riding near the In-N-Out when he heard a pop and his left hand fell, according to his cousin, Shane Klaas. A bullet passed through Pixley’s arm above the elbow, leaving him without use of three fingers.
Doctors are waiting for swelling to subside before surgery, Klaas said, adding that Pixley remains upbeat. Klaas said Pixley had recently moved to Twin Falls, found a job, and was working to rebuild his life.
“He had everything in front of him,” Klaas said. “And then this is just senseless.” Community resources for crime victims are being coordinated in part through the Idaho Office of the Attorney General and local agencies.