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

A Saturday afternoon outing turned to horror on 1 August 2026, when gunfire erupted at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in southern Idaho, leaving multiple people dead and several others wounded. The bloodshed unfolded in Twin Falls, a regional hub of approximately 56,000 residents located about 130 miles southeast of Boise and 75 miles north of the Nevada border, according to Nbc26.

According to Irishmirror, the tragedy claimed at least three lives, while leaving at least seven others injured, some critically. The suspected gunman was among the dead, found by responding officers near the fast-food establishment, as reported by Twin Falls city public information officer Josh Palmer to Theadvocate. Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks confirmed during a press conference that the shooter had died at the scene, adding that investigators were still working to establish the suspect's identity and underlying motive.

Media additions

“We believe the threat to the community is over,” Hicks stated, describing the incident as a very chaotic scene (Asiaone). Officials explained that they were still in the process of notifying next of kin before releasing the names and ages of the victims. Prior to the police press conference, Twin Falls County Commissioner Brent Reinke noted that Sheriff Jack Johnson had initially indicated five people were hurt, while Palmer told Nbc26 that the injury count was anticipated to rise.

The newly opened restaurant—which had just welcomed its first customers roughly a week prior on July 24 as part of the company's expansion into Idaho (Nbc26)—is situated near a bustling commercial shopping district on the north side of the city, surrounded by hotels and retail businesses (Theweek). Hundreds of people were in the surrounding area when the chaos began just before 4 p.m., prompting multiple emergency agencies to rush to the scene and cordon off surrounding roadways (Nbc26).

Eyewitness accounts paint a picture of sudden panic. Lane Koehn, 34, recounted being stopped at a traffic light near the restaurant when he saw an individual emerge from the drive-thru carrying an AR-style rifle (Nbc26). According to Koehn, a bystander armed with a pistol began firing at the shooter (Nbc26). Koehn then witnessed a restaurant employee in uniform dragging a bleeding, uniformed colleague across the car park with a chest wound, and stayed alongside the armed citizen until paramedics arrived (Nbc26). Footage captured by a motorist across the street showed a person dressed in black approaching a white vehicle, opening the driver-side door, and reaching into the trunk before the driver fled in fear of further weaponry (Nbc26).

Other patrons inside the restaurant described scrambling for safety. Haley Dodaro, 43, was waiting in the drive-thru line with her mother when she saw workers bolting from the building and people fleeing across the road, initially suspecting a fire before a traffic controller in a reflective vest warned them of an active shooter (Nbc26). Nayeli Rodriguez, 40, of Burley, was inside waiting for food with her daughters when kitchen gunfire erupted (Nbc26). She credited an older man with trying to shield them before they escaped to safety with the help of strangers (Nbc26).

Victims requiring urgent medical attention were transported to St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center (Nbc26). Hospital spokesperson Taylor Marschner released a statement noting that the medical centre was working closely with law enforcement and emergency responders as they managed the situation (Nbc26). Meanwhile, Idaho Governor Brad Little took to social media to urge the public to keep the community in their prayers and steer clear of the cordoned-off zone (Irishmirror).

What to watch next

• Law enforcement identification of the deceased gunman and release of official findings regarding a possible motive.
• Official updates from Twin Falls police and hospital officials regarding the condition of the injured survivors.
• Further investigation into whether any other individuals were involved in the attack, as cited by investigators via Theweek.

For related reporting on public safety incidents, visit our World coverage archive, or look back at prior coverage including Twin Falls In-N-Out shooting leaves three dead and seven injured.