Multiple people were killed and others injured in a shooting Saturday afternoon at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho, police said. The shooter was among the deceased, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks stated during a news conference.
Authorities were working to identify the shooter and determine the motive, Hicks said, adding that they believe the threat to the public has ended. The exact number of fatalities and injuries was not immediately available as officials focused on notifying next of kin. "It was a very chaotic scene," Hicks noted.
Earlier, Twin Falls County Commissioner Brent Reinke, citing Sheriff Jack Johnson, had said five people were hurt. Lane Koehn, 34, reported witnessing a person with an AR-style rifle emerge from the drive-thru, followed by a man with a pistol who began firing at the rifleman. Koehn also described seeing an employee in uniform drag another uniformed individual, who was bleeding from a gunshot wound to the chest, across the parking lot.
Koehn stated that he and the man with the pistol remained until paramedics arrived for the injured employee. He was also instructed by police to evacuate due to the active shooting situation. Koehn heard at least three or four shots fired and was unsure if any specific individuals were targeted.
The incident occurred near a busy shopping area, with hundreds of people present at the time, according to Hicks. Police were interviewing witnesses and appealed to the public for any information.
Reinke, a former prison chief for the Idaho Department of Corrections, learned of the incident shortly before 4 p.m. Multiple agencies responded to the scene. Police closed roads and advised residents to avoid the area.
St. Luke’s Magic Valley spokesperson Taylor Marschner confirmed the medical center was coordinating with law enforcement and emergency responders.
Twin Falls is a city of approximately 56,000 residents, located about 130 miles southeast of Boise and roughly 75 miles north of the Nevada border.