A 17-year-old has described the terrifying moment he came face-to-face with the gunman responsible for a deadly shooting at an In-N-Out restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho.
Braxton Stuebe was working at a nearby Dick’s Sporting Goods on August 1 when he encountered 24-year-old Chad Williams during the attack that left three people dead and seven others injured.
With Williams pointing his rifle directly at him, Stuebe says he pleaded for his life by telling the gunman he had a family and begging him not to shoot.
The teenager later told KMVT-TV that his priority was to remain calm and avoid any sudden movements.
“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,” Stuebe recalled.
What happened next surprised him.
Gunman became emotional during encounter
According to Stuebe, Williams appeared to begin tearing up as the two stood facing each other.
“He started to like tear up a bit, it seemed like,” Stuebe told KMVT-TV, adding that the gunman became emotional before telling him, “Just get away from me, man.”
Stuebe said Williams then fired in his direction but missed before continuing toward a nearby nature trail.
Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks later praised the teenager as a “hero,” saying his actions may have provided crucial time for other people to escape danger.
“Your courage, your composure, your selflessness in that moment likely gave others the time they needed to escape harm,” Hicks said.
Stuebe later described the encounter on social media as a “terrifying and traumatic experience” and expressed sorrow for those whose lives were changed by the shooting.
His mother, Aisha White, also spoke publicly about the emotional impact of what her son experienced, writing that the fear, heartbreak and gratitude that he survived were difficult to put into words.
Three people killed during attack
Police said Williams opened fire at the In-N-Out before continuing through the surrounding area.
In-N-Out employee Ashley Garibay, 23, was killed during the shooting. Christopher Claunch, 59, and Dale Schultz, 66, were also killed.
Several others were wounded as Williams fired at people and vehicles while moving through the area.
Authorities also praised other people who intervened during the attack, including off-duty Idaho State Police trooper and former Twin Falls police officer Austin James, who confronted Williams and was among those struck.
Williams eventually reached a nearby visitor’s center before heading toward a nature trail. Police said he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Authorities have not established a motive for the shooting and have said Williams acted alone. His family is cooperating with investigators.
Hicks described the attack as “violent, frightening and deeply traumatic,” noting that what should have been an ordinary Saturday afternoon instead became a scene of chaos and loss.
For Stuebe, the encounter lasted only moments, but his decision to remain composed while standing directly in front of the armed attacker earned public recognition from police.
The investigation remains ongoing, with multiple law enforcement agencies involved and the FBI requesting videos, photographs and other information that could assist investigators.
