Multiple people dead after shooting at fast food restaurant in southern …

Multiple people died and others sustained injuries in a shooting incident at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in southern Idaho, according to authorities. The violence unfolded on Saturday afternoon, August 1, 2026, drawing a large emergency response and leaving the surrounding community in shock.

Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks Confirms Suspect Dead and Threat Over

Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks stated during a news conference that the suspected gunman was among the dead at the scene. Investigators were still working to establish the shooter's identity and determine a motive behind the attack.

"We believe the threat to the community is over"

Matthew Hicks, Twin Falls Police Chief, via nbc26.com

Hicks noted that officials were still in the process of notifying next of kin and could not yet provide an exact count of those killed or wounded. It was a very chaotic scene, Hicks said, adding that the restaurant was situated near a busy shopping area where hundreds of people were present at the time.

While early findings pointed toward a lone gunman, investigators are examining whether anyone else was involved. We're working to determine now some of the other individuals who may have been involved in it, investigators said, according to CNN.

Before the police news conference, Twin Falls County Commissioner Brent Reinke stated that Sheriff Jack Johnson had informed him that five people were hurt. City spokesperson Josh Palmer told NBC News that he expected that number to increase.

Witnesses Describe Chaos, AR-Style Rifle, and Responding Bystanders

Eyewitness accounts detail a chaotic sequence of events inside and outside the restaurant, which had opened just about a week earlier on July 24, as part of the company's recent expansion to Idaho.

Lane Koehn, 34, recounted being stopped at a traffic light near the In-N-Out when he observed a person emerging from the drive-thru carrying an AR-style rifle. According to Koehn, a man with a pistol started firing at the shooter.

Koehn then witnessed someone in an In-N-Out uniform dragging a person, also uniformed, bleeding from a gunshot wound in her chest across the parking lot. The employee, Koehn and the man with the pistol stayed until paramedics arrived for her.

"She was pretty bad off, but I don’t know. I hope she made it"

Lane Koehn, eyewitness, via nbc26.com

Koehn added that the shooter fired at least three or four rounds and that police instructed him to evacuate because the shooting was still active. Video taken by a driver from across the street captured a shooter, who appeared to be dressed in black, walking up to a white car carrying a long rifle, opening the driver-side door and popping the trunk. The person then walked to the trunk and reached inside, at which point the driver who shot the video left quickly, fearing that the man might be getting more weapons.

Other patrons inside the restaurant described sudden panic. Twin Falls resident Haley Dodaro, 43, went to In-N-Out for lunch with her mother on Saturday afternoon. While waiting in the drive-thru line, they saw people running across the road and workers bolting out of the restaurant, before a man directing traffic in a reflective vest said there was a shooter.

Nayeli Rodriguez, 40, of Burley, was inside waiting for food with her daughters when she heard shots from the kitchen. An employee said it was a shooting and told people to get down. Rodriguez recalled that an older man tried to protect her and her daughters, and they were among the last to run outside.

"We were trying to get as far as we could and some angels let us in their car"

Nayeli Rodriguez, eyewitness, via nbc26.com

Emergency Response, Hospitalisation, and Official Reactions

Multiple law enforcement and emergency agencies responded as police advised people to avoid the area and closed roads around the commercial district on the north side of Twin Falls, a city of about 56,000 people located about 130 miles (205 kilometers) southeast of Boise and about 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of the Nevada border.

Police said multiple people were taken to St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center. Hospital spokesperson Taylor Marschner stated that the medical center was working closely with law enforcement and emergency responders as they managed the situation.

State leaders offered public support as the community reeled from the tragedy. Idaho Governor Brad Little wrote on X: “Idahoans, join me in keeping the Twin Falls community in your prayers as law enforcement and first responders respond to an active shooter situation near In-N-Out. Please avoid the area and follow directions from law enforcement as they work to keep everyone safe.”

Police were interviewing witnesses and asked for anyone with information to contact authorities.