Off-duty state trooper who helped respond to In-N-Out shooting speaks out
Specialist Steve McClain was inside the restaurant when gunfire broke out.
An off-duty Idaho state trooper who assisted law enforcement during a chaotic mass shooting that began at an In-N-Out Burger spoke out for the first time on Tuesday.
Specialist Steve McClain was inside the In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Aug. 1 when gunfire broke out. Three people were killed and another seven wounded in the massacre, which unfolded throughout the area.
"My heart remains with the victims, their families, those who were injured, and everyone whose lives have been changed by this tragedy," McClain said in a statement released through Idaho State Police. "Like many others who were there that day, I simply did what I believed needed to be done. Many people stepped forward to help complete strangers, often at great personal risk, and I am grateful for their courage and compassion."
McClain, a Twin Falls resident who has served with the Idaho State Police for 12 years, said he is thankful his training "prepared me for this horrific incident."
"I am proud to serve alongside the men and women of the Idaho State Police, as well as those with the Twin Falls Police Department and other members of our law enforcement community," he said. "I pray that the community can continue to heal and be strengthened through one another."
McClain's identity was initially withheld in the wake of the shooting at the request of the local prosecutor's office, though officials ultimately determined that releasing his name would not affect the ongoing investigation, state police said.
"Faced with an active threat, he willingly put himself in harm's way to protect others. In doing so, he undoubtedly helped save lives," Col. Bill Gardiner, director of the Idaho State Police, said in a statement Tuesday.
After the gunman fired into the restaurant, McClain helped evacuate patrons and employees while looking for the threat, according to police. He also exchanged gunfire with the shooter through a window, police said.
"Heroically and unbelievably, this trooper also assisted responding officers, leading them towards the last known direction of the shooter, and then took up a position at a key location to provide security until he could be relieved," Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said during a press briefing last week, adding that the off-duty trooper "risked his life in the time of need."
Police said they believe additional acts of heroism and the rendering of aid to victims saved lives that day.
During the incident, two bystanders -- including a man who is a former police officer and former Idaho State trooper -- confronted the gunman, which police said helped stop the shooting. The former law enforcement officer, Austin James Scott, was shot by the gunman and was among those injured, police said.
Video of the rampage also showed the gunman encounter an individual on a walking trail who "bravely engages with the gunman, allowing others coming down the trail time to turn around and escape," Hicks said, calling the man a hero.
"Countless ordinary people made extraordinary decisions that day," Gardiner said. "We recognize the courage shown by those who rendered aid, protected others, and responded in the face of unimaginable circumstances."
The shooter, identified by police as 24-year-old Chad Williams, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. A motive is still unknown, police said Friday.
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