A shooting at a busy In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Saturday left multiple people dead, including the suspected gunman, and several others wounded, according to police. The incident unfolded around 2 p.m. local time in a bustling commercial district on Blue Lakes Boulevard, prompting nearby businesses and shopping centers to lock down.
Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks declined to give an exact death toll, saying authorities were still notifying next of kin. He confirmed that several people were being treated for injuries and stressed that there was no longer a threat to the community. Officers responded to reports of an active shooter and found the suspect dead at the scene, though his identity and motive remained under investigation.
Lane Koehn, a 34-year-old witness, told the Associated Press he was stopped at a traffic light near the restaurant when he saw a person carrying an AR-style rifle emerge from the drive-thru. A bystander with a pistol opened fire on the gunman. Koehn then saw an In-N-Out employee in uniform dragging a wounded coworker, also in uniform, across the parking lot. The victim had a gunshot wound to the chest.
“She was pretty bad off, but I don’t know. I hope she made it,” Koehn said. He added that police ordered him to evacuate because the shooting was still active, and he heard at least three or four shots. It was unclear whether the shooter targeted specific individuals.
Twin Falls, a city of roughly 56,000 people located about 130 miles southeast of Boise, is now the site of the latest mass shooting in the U.S. Governor Brad Little took to social media, asking Idahoans to keep the Twin Falls community in their prayers and to follow law enforcement instructions. “Please avoid the area and follow directions from law enforcement as they work to keep everyone safe,” he wrote.
The incident adds to a growing list of public shootings that have reignited debates over gun policy, though Idaho has some of the most permissive gun laws in the nation. This tragedy also comes amid broader discussions about public safety and mental health resources, topics that have been central to recent scrutiny of law enforcement responses in other shooting cases.
Authorities have not confirmed whether the shooter had any prior interactions with law enforcement or if the attack was premeditated. The investigation remains ongoing, with police piecing together the timeline and any potential warning signs. The FBI and state investigators are assisting, according to local officials.
As the community mourns, questions are already emerging about how the shooter obtained the weapon and whether more could have been done to prevent the tragedy. Similar incidents have prompted calls for stricter enforcement of existing gun laws, though Idaho’s political leadership has historically resisted new restrictions. For now, the focus remains on supporting the victims and their families, with local hospitals reporting that several injured individuals are in stable condition.
