The three people killed when a gunman opened fire at an In-N-Out Burger in Idaho included a worker at the restaurant chain and a man from the area known for helping others get sober.
Authorities released the names Tuesday of the people who died when the 24-year-old gunman opened fire at the Twin Falls restaurant. Police have said they are confident he acted alone but were still trying to determine a motive.
Police identified those killed as Ashley Garibay, 23, from Stockton, California; Dale Schultz, 66, of Salt Lake City; and Christopher Claunch, 59, of Hagerman, Idaho, about 28 miles (45 kilometers) northwest of Twin Falls.
Hundreds of community members, many holding candles or roses, gathered at a park in Twin Falls Tuesday night for a vigil to honor the victims. Some wrote notes to those who had been killed on large blue hearts arranged on a trio of crosses while others stood arm-in-arm and prayed.
Teresa Yocham, who lives in Twin Falls, said the shooting sickened her and she wanted to come out to show support.
“We are strong as a community and we come together in hard times and that's what this was about,” she said.
Victims of the shooting remembered
Garibay worked for the burger chain on a team that trained new employees away from her home in Stockton. Her family said she loved her work and called her an “amazing, beautiful soul who loved living life.”
“She was adventurous, outgoing, smart and driven, never letting obstacles get in her way," her family said in a statement. “She lit up a room with her bright smile and a laugh that was contagious.”
The In-N-Out location opened in late July as part of the California chain’s Idaho expansion. Garibay got her first job at one of the restaurants, and she dreamed of one day managing one of the stores, her family said.
One of Claunch’s friends, Garren Taylor, said Claunch completed a rehab program for alcohol abuse in Idaho a couple of years ago and was immediately hired at the center. Taylor said Claunch, known to those close to him as “Toph,” dedicated his life to helping others get sober.
“He helped hundreds of people,” Taylor said Monday. “He was just a gift to anyone he came in contact with. It wasn’t about the paycheck. His attitude was: ‘I get to help someone today.’ ”
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 post on social media. He said Schultz 's wife was injured in the shooting.
“While we mourn the loss of Dale, we continue to pray for Reinette, who remains hospitalized as she recovers from her injuries,” he wrote Monday.
Police have opened a center where those who were affected by the shooting can get support and request or collect personal items left at the scene. Flags in the city will be at half-staff until next week.
Chaos at In-N-Out Burger
The attack Saturday at the In-N-Out Burger ended when the gunman, identified by police as Chad Williams, shot and killed himself.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene in and around the Idaho restaurant as shots were fired. One customer told The Associated Press that she and her daughters were waiting inside when she heard shots from the kitchen and an employee told her to get down. Another woman and her mother were waiting in the drive-thru line when they saw people running across the road and workers bolting out of the restaurant as a man directing traffic told them there was a shooter.
A man who was at a stoplight near the restaurant described seeing a person with an AR-style rifle emerge from the drive-thru and a man with a pistol start firing toward the suspect.
During the attack, an off-duty state trooper and a civilian fired on Williams, diverting him from the restaurant, police have said.
Steven Pixley was among those injured. He was riding his motorcycle near the In-N-Out when he heard a pop and his left hand dropped, his cousin Shane Klaas said Tuesday.
A bullet went into his arm above his elbow and exited right below it, Klaas said. The shooting left Pixley without use of three of his fingers, and doctors are waiting for the swelling to go down so they can do surgery, Klaas said.
“His attitude is wonderful, which is a big part of getting through this,” Klaas said. “He’s laughing, he’s joking.”
Klaas said Pixley recently moved to Twin Falls, found a job and was trying to get his life together.
“He had everything in front of him,” Klaas said. “And then this just, I mean, this is just senseless.”
Associated Press writers Jamie Stengle and Hallie Golden contributed to this report.
