A gunman opened fire with an AR-style rifle at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in Twin Falls, southern Idaho, on Saturday afternoon, leaving multiple people dead and several more injured, police confirmed.
The shooter was among those killed, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said at a press conference. Officers were still working to establish the gunman's identity and motive.
"We believe the threat to the community is over," Hicks said. He added that he did not yet know exactly how many people had been killed or wounded, and that officials were still in the process of notifying next of kin. "It was a very chaotic scene."
Death toll and official reaction
At least three people lost their lives and at least five were injured, according to The Sun.
Idaho Governor Brad Little wrote on X: "Idahoans, join me in keeping the Twin Falls community in your prayers as law enforcement and first responders respond to an active shooter situation near In-N-Out."
"Please avoid the area and follow directions from law enforcement as they work to keep everyone safe."
Witness accounts
Eyewitness Lane Koehn, 34, said he was stopped at a traffic light near the In-N-Out when he saw an individual armed with an AR-style rifle emerging from the drive-thru. A man carrying a pistol then opened fire on the shooter.
Koehn subsequently witnessed a member of staff in an In-N-Out uniform drag a colleague, also in uniform, who was bleeding from a gunshot wound to her chest, across the car park. The employee, Koehn and the armed man remained at the scene until paramedics arrived to tend to her.
"She was pretty bad off, but I don't know. I hope she made it," Koehn said.
Further accounts and footage
Koehn said police instructed him to leave the area while the shooting was still ongoing. He noted that the gunman fired at least three or four rounds, with no indication as to whether anyone in particular had been targeted.
Footage captured by a driver from across the road showed a shooter, apparently dressed in black, approaching a white car while carrying a long rifle, opening the driver's side door and popping the boot. The individual then reached inside the boot. At that moment, the driver filming the incident departed hastily, fearing the man could be retrieving additional weapons.
Drive-thru witness
Twin Falls resident Haley Dodaro, 43, and her mother visited the In-N-Out for lunch on Saturday afternoon. While queuing in the drive-thru, they noticed people fleeing across the road and staff rushing out of the restaurant.
Initially, Dodaro suspected there may have been a fire, but a man directing traffic in a high-visibility vest informed them there was a shooter. "So that's when we knew there was a shooting. People were running out crying and screaming. It was very scary," Dodaro said in a text message to The Associated Press.
Official updates
Hicks confirmed that the shooting occurred near a bustling shopping area, where hundreds of people were present at the time. Officers were interviewing witnesses and urged anyone with information to contact the authorities.
City spokesperson Josh Palmer told NBC News that he expects "that number (those injured) to increase." Reinke, who is also a former prison chief for the Idaho Department of Corrections, said he was informed of the incident just before 4pm, with multiple agencies responding to the scene.
Emergency response and context
Police urged members of the public to steer clear of the area as roads were cordoned off. St. Luke's Magic Valley spokesperson Taylor Marschner confirmed in a statement that the medical centre was "working closely with law enforcement and emergency responders as they manage the situation."
Twin Falls, a city of approximately 56,000 residents, is situated around 130 miles (205 kilometres) southeast of Boise and roughly 75 miles (120 kilometres) north of the Nevada border.
