The good Samaritan being hailed as a “hero” for firing upon Idaho In-N-Out gunman Chad Williams in the middle of his deadly drive-thru rampage had trained for such a moment for years after witnessing another mass shooting.
Jordan Salinas, 35, a healthcare worker and the full-time caregiver of his brother, who uses a wheelchair, had been horseback riding with his girlfriend the morning of the shooting when the couple pulled into the Twin Falls In-N-Out location for lunch and immediately noticed something amiss.
A large crowd of people was rushing through the exit doors of the restaurant, which he assumed was due to a kitchen fire until he heard the unmistakable pop of gunfire.
Operating on pure instinct, Salinas sprinted toward the sound of the gunfire – a response he’d later refer to as “automatic” and “mechanical,” he told the Idaho Statesman.
He drew his FN Five-Seven – a semiautomatic pistol equipped with a suppressor – and engaged Williams using the military’s four-step “Observe, Orient, Decide Act” approach.
Salinas exited the car with his gun drawn as his girlfriend called out to him, at which point the gunfire started up again.
Video shows him slowly making his way toward the restaurant, taking cover behind In-N-Out signs and shrubs.
From his hidden vantage point, he spotted Williams standing by the drive-thru and saw him raise a rifle to his shoulder and start firing toward vehicles.
“OK, this is the guy,” he later told the outlet was his thought process upon seeing the gunman.
He raised his pistol with both hands and squeezed off a round – the first time he ever aimed his weapon at a living target, he said.
“He did not like it when bullets started firing both ways,” Salinas told the outlet.
Williams was now taking return fire from him, and an off-duty cop who was a customer at the restaurant, Twin Falls County Sheriff Jack Johnson said.
He vacated the drive-thru and made his way toward an open parking lot at the Twin Falls visitor center. Police said he later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Three people were killed and seven others were wounded in the In-N-Out shooting, but police said the death toll would have undoubtedly been higher without the quick-thinking actions of Salinas and the off-duty cop
“These people are true heroes in our community,” Johnson said of the two men who returned fire. “They diverted the shooter and without a doubt saved many lives.”
Salinas later stood down to let police officers do their job as they streamed into the parking lot.
“My part is done,” he recalled thinking at the time.
He later said when he witnessed the 2021 mass shooting at the Boise Towne Square mall, in which two people were killed and several more were wounded, he noticed gunmen deliberately went after “soft targets.”
The hero civilian reasoned that his role as a healthcare provider for his wheelchair-bound brother would make the duo sitting ducks in such a scenario.
Salinas later posted on his Facebook page about the barrage of messages he’s received in the “overwhelming” 24 hours since he was identified as the Good Samaritan.
“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,” he wrote.
“In the coming days, I’ll share a more complete account of what happened, to the best of my recollection, when I’m able,” he promised.
“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.”
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