It has now been confirmed that Jordan Salinas of Kimberly, Idaho, is the heroic armed bystander who returned fire and saved lives during Saturday’s shooting at an In-N-Out restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho.
As The Gateway Pundit reported, three were confirmed dead on Saturday evening after a shooting at an In-N-Out restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho. At least five victims were wounded in the attack.
Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks confirmed during a press conference on Saturday that a citizen returned fire at the gunman, 24-year-old Chad Williams, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“We can confirm that there was an off-duty State Trooper and a citizen who actively engaged the suspect by returning gunfire towards him,” he said. “We want to take a moment to commend the actions of the off-duty officer and the citizen, and their heroic action to stop this incident. We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties.”
WATCH:
Video from the scene shows Salinas, donning a cowboy hat, firing back at the gunman using his pistol and ducking for cover in the bushes as the gunman seemingly fires back.
Via ABC 7:
The Gateway Pundit reported on Saturday that the heroic citizen, then-unnamed, who was shooting at the gunman using his own handgun, was believed to be Jordan Salinas. Salinas later confirmed that he was the heroic bystander in a Sunday Facebook post, writing:
The last 24 hours have been overwhelming. I want to sincerely thank my family, friends, and everyone who has reached out with messages, prayers, and support. I haven’t been able to respond to everyone yet, but please know I’ve seen your messages, and they mean more to me than I can put into words.
In the coming days, I’ll share a more complete account of what happened, to the best of my recollection, when I’m able.
For now, my heart remains with the victims, their families, and everyone affected by yesterday’s tragedy. Thank you for continuing to keep them in your thoughts and prayers, and thank you all for the incredible support you’ve shown me and my family.
He further detailed the exact moments leading up to the shooting and his jumping into action with his FN Five-Seven to the Idaho Statesman on Sunday. His response, he said, was “automatic” and “mechanical” when he saw people running away and heard the gunfire.
“He did not like it when bullets started firing both ways,” Salinas told the outlet, noting that he felt “no fear.”
“There’s a task that needs to be done, and we’re the ones who need to do it.”
“Everyone says, ‘It’s not going to happen here,’” he added. “But what if it does?”
Salinas further detailed the years of training that prepared him for this moment. As a healthcare worker and a full-time caregiver for his wheelchair-bound brother, he began preparing after a 2021 Boise Towne Square mall shooting. He reasoned that he and his brother would be the “soft targets” that a shooter would go after.
The Idaho Statesman’s Mark Dee reports:
He started taking his training seriously that day, he told the Idaho Statesman on Sunday. He shoots on weekends and trains in the desert outside of Eden, a small town in eastern Jerome County. He’d never pointed his gun at so much as an animal, he said, and never thought he’d need to use anything he practiced. Yet he drilled a four-step approach borrowed from the military, every week, always the same:
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.
More from Fox:
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