In the wake of sparse initial police reports following the August 2, 2026, tragedy, online rumors quickly swirled around 24-year-old Chad Williams.
TWIN FALLS, IDAHO: Following a deadly mass shooting at an In-N-Out restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho, social media platforms became breeding grounds for conspiracy theories. Among the most prevalent claims was the unverified assertion that suspected gunman Chad Williams had his social media profiles wiped prior to being publicly named by law enforcement.
The tragic event on August 1, 2026, left three individuals dead and injured seven others. Let’s take a closer look at the facts behind the viral rumor.
Claim: Chad Williams’ social media profiles were erased before police released his name
Have they scrubbed Chad Williams Social media accounts yet? When they don’t know much about the shooter it’s usually a Leftist Flake
— Christos Blanco (@sickofdischit) August 2, 2026
As details remained scarce following the shooting, online sleuths began digging into the background of 24-year-old Chad Williams. Because investigators released very little information initially on Sunday, August 2, speculation rapidly filled the vacuum.
Twin Falls Police later stated that Williams acted alone and noted that his parents were cooperating with investigators as they searched for a motive.
True to form following major tragedies, internet users immediately attempted to scour the web for the suspect’s digital footprint. Finding virtually no verified accounts or active social media presence prior to the August 1 incident, web sleuths jumped to conclusions.
This absence of an online trail led to widespread allegations that authorities or related parties had purposefully “scrubbed” Williams’ accounts before his official identification.
Amplifying these unfounded theories, posts such as one by X user Christos Blanco questioned whether the accounts had been erased, while attempting to tie the suspect to a specific political ideology without any proof.
Fact Check: False — No proof exists that social media profiles were deleted
Investigations reveal zero evidence indicating that anyone removed or deleted Chad Williams’ social media accounts prior to police identifying him as the gunman.
Law enforcement has not mentioned the removal of any digital accounts, and there is no credible backing for claims that his online history was systematically erased.
Furthermore, authorities have withheld any statements regarding Williams’ political leanings, despite internet users attempting to attach him to both mainstream political parties based entirely on speculation.
Misinformation also led to unintended targets; some online commentators mistakenly doxxed an entirely different individual named Chad Williams, falsely claiming he was a U.S. Navy veteran.
Police have established no connection between the actual suspect and any military service or the specific profiles circulated online. The shooting itself unfolded around 2:29 p.m. MDT on Saturday, tragically claiming three lives and leaving at least seven others wounded.
On Sunday, August 2, In-N-Out Burger verified that two of the victims—one fatality and one injured individual—were staff members at the restaurant. Identities for other victims have been withheld by officials, though the tragedy undoubtedly spawned a wave of false narratives regarding the perpetrator.
During a press conference on Sunday, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks directly addressed these falsehoods, confirming that a completely innocent individual mistakenly targeted by online sleuths “had no involvement in this incident whatsoever.”
Chief Hicks also officially confirmed that Chad Williams died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.