3 killed and at least 7 wounded in shooting at newly opened Idaho In-N-Out
A restaurant employee was among those killed after gunfire erupted in a crowded Twin Falls shopping district on Saturday afternoon.
Three people were killed, and at least seven others were wounded after a gunman opened fire at an In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, Idaho, turning a busy Saturday lunch rush into a chaotic scene of customers and workers running for safety.
The shooting unfolded shortly after 2:29 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, at the restaurant on Blue Lakes Boulevard, according to local authorities. Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said the suspected gunman was later found dead and investigators believe there is no longer a threat to the community.
Among those killed was a female In-N-Out employee who was serving customers at the time, company president Lynsi Snyder confirmed in a statement. The employee’s identity and the names of the other victims had not been publicly released as of Sunday morning while authorities worked to notify their families.
Three people were killed, and at least seven were injured, some critically, Twin Falls city spokesperson Joshua Palmer told the Associated Press. Some outlets initially reported a lower injury count as officials worked to determine how many people had been treated following the rapidly unfolding attack.
Authorities have also not confirmed whether the suspected shooter is included among the three reported deaths.
Witnesses described a terrifying scene inside and outside the restaurant, which had opened only about a week earlier as part of In-N-Out’s expansion into Idaho.
Haley Dodaro told the press that she and her mother were waiting in the drive-thru when they noticed people running across the road and employees rushing out of the restaurant. Dodaro initially thought there might have been a fire before someone directing traffic warned them that a shooting was underway.
“People were running out crying and screaming,” Dodaro said. “It was very scary.”
Another witness, Lane Koehn, said he saw a person carrying what appeared to be an AR-style rifle emerge from the drive-thru area. Koehn also described seeing a man armed with a handgun shoot toward the suspected gunman. Police have not publicly detailed that person’s role in the incident or said whether any of the reported injuries resulted from the exchange of gunfire.
Koehn said he later helped an employee and an armed bystander tend to a wounded woman in an In-N-Out uniform until paramedics arrived.
Inside the restaurant, customers were also trying to protect one another. Nayeli Rodriguez reported that she was waiting for food with her daughters when she heard gunfire coming from the direction of the kitchen. An employee told customers to get down, and an older man attempted to shield Rodriguez and her children before they escaped.
The accounts paint a familiar and devastating picture in a country where ordinary gathering places, including schools, churches, grocery stores and restaurants, have repeatedly become sites of mass violence. This time, people reporting for a fast-food shift and families stopping for lunch were forced to make split-second decisions to survive.
Several victims were transported to St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center. Police closed roads and businesses surrounding the restaurant, including the area near the Twin Falls Visitor Center, as officers processed the expansive crime scene and interviewed witnesses.
Hicks said hundreds of people may have been in the shopping district when the shooting occurred, calling the response “exceptionally chaotic.” The FBI was also assisting local law enforcement with the investigation.
Police said they were still working to determine the suspected gunman’s identity and motive. The department warned the public against sharing unverified claims circulating online about the shooter.
Snyder said In-N-Out would support the victims’ families and the employees affected by the violence.
“In-N-Out will be mourning with the families and praying for them as they tread through a very painful season,” she said.
Twin Falls, a city of approximately 56,000 residents, is located about 130 miles southeast of Boise.
Authorities are asking anyone with information who has not already spoken with investigators to contact Twin Falls dispatch at 208-735-4357.