By Mark Dee and Alex Brizee
The Idaho Statesman
TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Idaho State Police Specialist Steve McClain was off-duty when he heard gunshots ring through the drive-thru window of the In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls on Aug. 1.
Out of uniform, the officer leapt into the line of fire.
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Idaho State Police on Tuesday identified McClain as the off-duty officer who returned fire at an armed gunman outside the Twin Falls restaurant earlier this month. As a victim who had been shot at, himself, his identity was previously withheld.
Video released by Twin Falls police on Friday shows McClain in a white T-shirt vaulting over the counter once the shooting began, drawing his sidearm and returning fire. The bullets drove the shooter, 24-year-old Chad Williams, back from the window. McClain then directed employees out of the kitchen and, later, the building, according to Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks.
“Heroically and unbelievably,” McClain went on to lead responding officers in the direction of the shooter and taking up “a position at a key location to provide security” until more help arrived, Hicks said.
“Although off-duty, Specialist McClain made the conscious decision to confront the threat in an effort to protect others,” Idaho State Police Col. Bill Gardiner said in a statement. “Years of training, experience, discipline, and commitment were compressed into a matter of seconds. Faced with an active threat, he willingly put himself in harm’s way to protect others. In doing so, he undoubtedly helped save lives.”
McClain was not injured in the shootout, though another good Samaritan alongside him attempting to aid the shooter’s first victim was wounded, Hicks said on Friday.
Ashley Garibay, Christopher Claunch and Dale Schultz were killed in the shooting. Seven more people were wounded. The gunman also later died by suicide.
McClain, who has worked for 12 years with ISP, is assigned to the Commercial Vehicle Safety program. He and his family “are members of the Twin Falls community,” ISP said in the press release Tuesday.
“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. “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 is one of several people who confronted the gunman that Saturday afternoon. Austin James, a former Twin Falls police officer and former Idaho State trooper, left his car and ran toward gunfire as soon as the firing began. James was shot in the altercation. He retreated before circling back and drawing his own gun, according to police. But noticing his wound, bystanders pulled him into a car for treatment and drove him to a hospital.
“Mr. James ran toward the sound of gunfire coming from the In-N-Out drive-thru area, rather than away from danger, and his actions are courageous and commendable,” Hicks said Friday.
Video released Friday by police also shows an unnamed woman running for and attempting to fire the shooter’s jammed handgun, which he had discarded behind his car.
Not long after, once McClain had helped drive the gunman away and evacuate the building, Kimberly resident Jordan Salinas also drew his gun on the shooter, firing several rounds and pushing him away from the restaurant.
Later on, a teenage employee at a nearby Dick’s Sporting Goods ran into the gunman on the Canyon Rim Trail. The man, who a co-worker identified to the Statesman as Braxton Stuebe, spoke to the shooter for several seconds “allowing others coming down the trail time to turn and escape,” according to police.
“To that young man, you are a hero,” Twin Falls County Sheriff Jack Johnson said Friday. “That kind of bravery needs to be acknowledged.”
As they separated, the gunman fired at Stuebe; Stuebe was not injured in the encounter.
“Countless ordinary people made extraordinary decisions that day. We recognize the courage shown by those who rendered aid, protected others, and responded in the face of unimaginable circumstances,” Gardiner said. “Specialist McClain’s actions reflect the courage, character, professionalism, and selfless commitment that define the men and women of the Idaho State Police .”
It’s not the first time McClain has been hailed as a hero.
McClain is a recipient of ISP’s Life Saving Award for escorting four people out of a burning building. After he got them to safety, McClain ran back to warn nearby residents, helping another man and his pet dog out of heavy smoke.
In 2016, McClain was also honored for his role in helping to save the life of a 35-year-old woman during a medical event on an Idaho interstate, KMVT reported at the time.
Regarding the Aug. 1 Twin Falls shooting, McClain said in his statement that he is “thankful for the training I have received throughout my career that 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,” McClain said. “I pray that the community can continue to heal and be strengthened through one another. Twin Falls Strong!”
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