Twin Falls, Idaho: A deadly shooting at an In-N-Out Burger in southern Idaho on Saturday afternoon left several people dead and others wounded, authorities said, with the gunman also among the dead.
Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said investigators were still trying to establish the full toll as they worked to secure the area and identify the victims. He said the immediate aftermath was difficult for first responders to navigate.
“We believe the threat to the community is over,” Hicks said. He added, “It was a very chaotic scene,” as officials worked through the unfolding violence.
Before the police briefing, Twin Falls County Commissioner Brent Reinke gave an early account of the casualties, saying Sheriff Jack Johnson had reported that five people were injured in the incident. Hicks later clarified that officials did not yet have a precise count of those killed or hurt and were still in the process of notifying victims’ families, as reported By KLFY.com.
Lane Koehn, 34, said he witnessed the start of the shooting while waiting at a stoplight near the restaurant. He said he saw an individual armed with an AR-style rifle come out of the In-N-Out drive-thru. Koehn said a man carrying a pistol then opened fire on the suspect. As shots continued, police instructed Koehn to leave because the scene remained active.
During the attack, Koehn said he saw a worker in uniform drag a co-worker across the parking lot. He said the injured employee had a gunshot wound to the chest and was bleeding heavily. Koehn and the armed man stayed with the two workers until paramedics arrived.
“She was pretty bad off, but I don’t know. I hope she made it,” Koehn said.