On Saturday afternoon, a tragic shooting incident occurred at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant located in Twin Falls, Idaho. The shooting resulted in the deaths of three individuals and left seven others injured, with some of the injuries reported as critical. This shocking event unfolded around 2 p.m. in a busy shopping area, prompting immediate responses from local law enforcement.
According to Twin Falls city public information officer Josh Palmer, police found the body of the suspected shooter near the restaurant, but it has not been confirmed whether this individual was included in the total of three fatalities. As investigations are ongoing, officials are still in the process of notifying families of the victims and have thus refrained from releasing further details, including names and ages.
Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks stated during a news conference that the authorities are working diligently to ascertain the shooter's identity and motive, emphasizing that they believe the immediate threat to the community has been neutralized. The chaotic scene left many witnesses shaken, and police have since been interviewing them as part of their investigation.
Eyewitness accounts provide harrowing details about the shooting. Lane Koehn, a 34-year-old resident, recounted seeing an individual armed with an AR-style rifle emerging from the drive-thru, where another man responded by using a pistol to return fire. Koehn described a scene of urgency as he witnessed an injured employee being dragged across the parking lot after suffering a gunshot wound to her chest. He and the man with the pistol stayed on site to assist until paramedics arrived.
As chaos ensued, Haley Dodaro, 43, and her mother, who had come to the In-N-Out for lunch, shared their experience of seeing people fleeing and employees rushing out of the restaurant. Initially mistaking the situation for a fire, they soon learned from a traffic director that there was an active shooter. Dodaro recalled the fear of the moment, describing the scene as very scary with people running and crying.
Inside the restaurant, Nayeli Rodriguez, 40, was waiting for her food with her daughters when they heard shots fired from the kitchen. An employee alerted them to the shooting, urging customers to take cover. Rodriguez mentioned a brave older man who tried to shield her and her daughters, helping them among the last to escape the restaurant. In the resulting panic, they were assisted by others who provided them a ride away from the scene.
This shooting incident took place less than a week after the In-N-Out location had opened on July 24, as part of the company's expansion efforts into Idaho. Following the shooting, multiple victims were transported to St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center for treatment, where hospital representatives have stated they are collaborating closely with law enforcement and emergency responders in the wake of this incident.
Twin Falls, a city with a population of around 56,000 people, is situated approximately 130 miles southeast of Boise and 75 miles north of the Nevada border. As the investigation continues, the community is left to grapple with the aftermath of this shocking event, which has disrupted the usual peace of their environment.
