A Twin Falls sporting goods store employee came within arm’s reach of the gunman responsible for a deadly shooting near the Snake River Canyon on August 2, 2026 — and lived to describe the encounter in detail.
Braxton Stuebe was working at the Dick’s Sporting Goods store near Blue Lakes Boulevard when the chaos began. He initially heard an unfamiliar noise he couldn’t place, then a group of roughly five to ten people burst through the doors, including a woman shouting that there was an active shooter outside. Within moments, Stuebe shifted from employee to emergency responder, directing the frightened crowd toward a back exit. When he found the door locked, he tracked down a manager and pushed through the crowd to get it open so people could flee.
A Chance Encounter With the Gunman
After helping customers escape, Stuebe and a coworker ran toward a hotel under construction near the canyon. That’s when Stuebe spotted a man carrying a firearm near the visitor center. The suspect turned and pointed the weapon directly at him.
Rather than run, Stuebe kept his hands raised and tried to talk the man down. The suspect appeared visibly distressed — his voice stuttered and his eyes filled with tears during the brief exchange.
“I have a family,” Stuebe told the gunman, as recounted to KMVT. “I said, you don’t have to do this. I’ll tell you whatever you want. I’ll do anything.”
The suspect responded, “just get away from me, man,” and fired a shot at Stuebe as he backed away. The bullet missed. Stuebe turned and ran toward the sidewalk along Blue Lakes Boulevard, waving his arms to stop passing traffic before he and his coworker ducked into a nearby Best Buy.
Once inside, Stuebe called his parents.
A Father’s Rush Across Town
Chad Stuebe received that call and immediately drove across Twin Falls to reach his son. The elder Stuebe described the moment as one no parent should ever have to face.
“It’s not a situation you should be in as a parent,” Chad Stuebe told KMVT. “I just wanted to get there and get him home safe.”
Braxton Stuebe walked away physically unharmed — one of the fortunate outcomes of a day that turned deadly for others nearby. The shooting at the In-N-Out Burger location in Twin Falls left three people dead and two others injured before the suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Gunman Identified as College Student
Investigators later identified the shooter as a college student. Authorities confirmed the lone gunman died from a self-inflicted wound following the attack, which unfolded in and around the fast food restaurant before spilling into the surrounding area — including the stretch of Blue Lakes Boulevard where Stuebe had his terrifying encounter.
Stuebe’s account underscores the rapid and unpredictable nature of the incident, during which an armed suspect moved through a populated commercial corridor while panicked civilians scrambled for safety inside nearby businesses. His quick action in directing people to the back exit of Dick’s Sporting Goods and his composure under direct threat likely spared additional casualties.
What Comes Next
Twin Falls law enforcement and state officials are expected to continue reviewing the timeline of events as the investigation moves forward. For the Stuebe family, the focus remains on processing a brush with tragedy that could easily have ended differently. The broader Twin Falls community, meanwhile, continues to grieve the three lives lost and support the two individuals still recovering from injuries sustained in the attack. Further details on the investigation and any resulting policy or security discussions are expected as officials complete their review of the incident.