In-N-Out President Lynsi Snyder stated her "heart is broken" after an employee and customers were killed in a shooting at one of the burger chain’s newest restaurants in Twin Falls, Idaho. Three people were killed and seven others injured in the Saturday afternoon incident, according to city spokesperson Josh Palmer. Police discovered the suspected gunman dead near the restaurant; it remains unclear if the shooter was included in the city's reported death toll.
"We lost one of our beautiful Associates tonight," Snyder said in a statement. "She was taking care of our most important asset — our Customers, and her life was taken by a disgusting human who doesn’t value the lives of others or his own."
Snyder indicated that the gunman fired both on and away from the In-N-Out property before ending his own life. She described the event as "so incredibly tough," extending her condolences to the victims' families and offering support to the employees and customers who were present during the traumatic event.
Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks confirmed that investigators were working to identify the suspected shooter and determine a motive. "We believe the threat to the community is over," Hicks said during a news conference, describing the scene as "very chaotic."
The shooting occurred around 2 p.m. in a busy shopping plaza. Witness video appeared to show an individual dressed in black carrying a long rifle toward a white vehicle. Multiple victims were transported to St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center, which confirmed it was cooperating with law enforcement and emergency personnel.
The In-N-Out restaurant had opened on July 24, just over a week before the attack, as part of the company's expansion into Idaho. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting local authorities in the investigation. Twin Falls is a city of approximately 56,000 residents located about 130 miles southeast of Boise.