A gunman opened fire on August 1 at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho, killing at least three people and injuring between two and seven others, police said [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The shooting began inside the newly opened restaurant, which opened July 24, and spread to the surrounding busy shopping plaza with stores and a movie theater, witnesses said [2, 3, 4, 5].

The gunman used an AR-style rifle and died at the scene, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said. Police have not clarified if the shooter is counted among the three dead, with conflicting reports on that detail [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. The motive remains under investigation and officials have not ruled out the possibility of multiple shooters [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11].

A civilian armed with a handgun exchanged fire with the rifle-armed attacker outside the restaurant, likely helping others flee, witnesses said. One witness, Lane Koehn, described seeing a man with an AR rifle exit the drive-thru area and another armed citizen firing back. Koehn also recounted watching a staff member drag an injured female employee through the parking lot while the armed man guarded them until medical help arrived [5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. At least one victim was confirmed to be a staff member of the In-N-Out location [5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. Several of the injured were reported in serious condition [5].

The incident prompted a major law enforcement response. Roads were closed, including the Perrine Bridge over the Snake River Canyon, and lockdowns were implemented in the area. Police and emergency personnel conducted extensive searches for additional suspects [1, 2, 10, 11, 12]. Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said officers are still working to determine if the three deceased include the shooter [2]. Joshua Palmer, the city spokesperson, confirmed the shooting moved from inside the restaurant to the surrounding areas [2].

Twin Falls is a city of about 56,000 residents located roughly 290 kilometers northwest of Salt Lake City [10]. Local and federal officials, including Idaho’s Attorney General Raúl Labrador, expressed condolences and called for prayers for victims and first responders [11, 12]. Labrador said police, state troopers, firefighters, and paramedics were still on the scene searching for suspects [11].

Police continue to investigate the incident and have not ruled out multiple shooters. The investigation is ongoing.