Authorities in Twin Falls, Idaho, have confirmed that the man accused of opening fire at a fast-food restaurant on Saturday died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, sparing the justice system the trouble of a trial and sparing us all the agony of a lengthy manhunt.

Police Chief Matthew Hicks announced on Sunday that investigators are "confident" 24-year-old Chad Williams acted alone in the attack that left three dead and seven injured at the newly opened In-N-Out restaurant in a city of about 56,000 residents. Two of the wounded have been treated and released, three remain in stable condition, and two are still fighting for their lives in critical condition.

In a rare moment of heartening news, Chief Hicks credited an off-duty state trooper and an armed citizen - whose names remain as mysterious as their identities - with returning fire and driving the suspect away from the restaurant. "We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties," Hicks said, adding a commendation for their "heroic action to stop this incident." We'd like to commend them too, because apparently in America, your lunch date can turn into a firefight.

Detectives are still piecing together what led to the attack, with Williams' family reportedly cooperating fully - perhaps the only fully cooperative thing in this entire tragedy. Hicks also took a moment to debunk online rumors that had wrongly fingered another individual as the gunman, stressing that the person had "no involvement in this incident whatsoever." Because nothing says 'responsible discourse' like social media sleuthing during a mass shooting.

Meanwhile, In-N-Out owner Lynsi Snyder confirmed that one of the deceased was an employee, and in a statement that could double as a country song, she said: "My heart is broken, my chest is heavy, my eyes burn from the tears I've shed. We lost one of our beautiful Associates tonight." She promised the company would mourn with the families and pray for them as they "tread through a very painful season."

The FBI is now appealing to the public for any photos or videos from the shooting, as investigators continue to reconstruct the chaos that erupted around 2pm in a busy shopping plaza. Witness Haley Dodaro, 43, who was waiting in the drive-thru with her mother, described the terror of seeing people running and workers bolting, initially thinking it was a fire until a man in a reflective vest shouted the word 'shooter.' "So that's when we knew there was a shooting. People were running out crying and screaming. It was very scary," she told the Associated Press. We're glad she's safe, and we're reminded that sometimes the only thing between us and a headline is a fast-food burger and a bit of luck.

As Twin Falls mourns, the police chief's message is clear: in the land of the free, it takes an off-duty cop and a brave citizen to stop the bullets - and a whole lot of prayers to heal the wounds.