In the wake of the In‑N‑Out massacre that left three dead and seven injured, one question keeps surfacing: How many armed Idahoans stepped up – or tried to – to stop the killer?
What we know now paints a picture of a community that refused to be passive victims.
1. Jordan Salinas – The First Known Defender
Jordan Salinas instantly became known worldwide after video showed him taking incoming fire and returning fire at the killer. His actions were nothing short of heroic – a lone citizen charging toward danger to protect strangers.
2. The Off‑Duty Officer
Twin Falls Police later confirmed that an off‑duty officer also fired at the suspect. His name hasn’t been released, but he’s believed to be with Idaho State Police. Details remain unclear, including his exact position during the engagement.
Many assumed this officer was Austin James – but Gun News Now later confirmed with James directly that he is not the off-duty officer.
3. Austin James – Shot, Yet Still Tried to Fight
James, a former law enforcement officer, did have a firearm and attempted to shoot back after being hit in the arm. His injuries were catastrophic – a shattered humerus bone and severed brachial artery – yet he still tried to engage the killer before being rushed to the hospital by his wife and her co-worker, both of whom were emergency room nurses.
That gives us three confirmed individuals who fired or attempted to fire at the suspect.
New Stories Emerging – More Idahoans Tried to Stop Evil
As more details surface, two additional accounts show just how many people were ready to fight back.
4. Jaylyn Sanchez – The Young Woman Who Found a Handgun
A young woman named Jaylyn Sanchez told her story to the mainstream media. She says she came face to face with the killer who pointed his gun right at her. She says she ducked behind a white car for cover and saw a handgun sitting on a case – which she says she believes was the killer’s handgun.
Early in the attack, witnesses say the killer used a handgun. James told Gun News Now he was shot with a handgun, not a rifle. Footage also shows the killer going to his vehicle and possibly changing out weapons.
Sanchez says she grabbed the handgun and tried to pull back the slide – but it was jammed. She dropped the gun, fled to a truck, and escaped. This means she directly attempted to stop the killer face‑to‑face with a firearm.
It also suggests why the killer may have switched to a rifle.
5. Rick Roessner – The Man Walking His Dog
Rick Roessner says he was walking his dog near the Tesla chargers and was carrying a Beretta Bobcat 21 A .22 LR. He reached a dumpster area when gunfire erupted. Roessner says he could not definitively decide who was the good guy or bad guy, so he decided to flee from the area. He also says he feared he would be charged with murder if he shot the wrong person.
Little did Roessner know, but when he fled from the area, the gunman went looking for him, as footage from the incident shows.
Roessner later said he felt he let his community down. Commenters on Facebook overwhelmingly told him he made the right call. He was armed, willing, and thinking, and refused to risk harming an innocent person.
In the first photo below is a photo of Roessner and the killer. You can see Roessner up against the dumpster structure. In the second photo, you can see the killer going toward where Roessner was.
If the killer was looking for Roessner, it is likely that Roessner unknowingly saved lives by distracting him. If not, Roessner fleeing the scene was the smart move as the killer went right by where he was.
Five Idahoans. Five Decisions. One Message.
Some fought. Some tried. One held fire to avoid what he believed could have been a tragic mistake.
But all five showed the same truth: Idahoans don’t sit back and wait to be victims.
When citizens are armed, they can disrupt evil, even if they don’t land a shot. Police acknowledged that these defenders saved countless lives. When a killer is forced to focus on armed resistance, unarmed innocents get the chance to escape.
Idaho proved once again that evil can be resisted, and ordinary citizens can make an extraordinary difference.
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