Three killed in Twin Falls In-N-Out shooting

Three people were killed and at least two others were wounded Saturday in what police described as an active shooter incident at or near an In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, Idaho, local officials said.

The violence was reported around 2:30 p.m. in a busy commercial area on Blue Lakes Boulevard North that includes the restaurant, major retailers and a movie theater complex. Twin Falls city spokesperson Josh Palmer said the shooting began inside the In-N-Out, according to CBS News. He said three people were dead and at least two had been injured.

Additional details about the people who were shot and the shooter or shooters were not immediately available. Palmer told NBC News he could not confirm whether the shooter was among those killed. He also would not confirm to CBS News whether a suspect had been taken into custody or whether more than one suspect was involved.

Palmer said the gunman was no longer considered a threat. Regarding the injured, he told NBC News, “We expect that number to increase.”

The Twin Falls Police Department said on social media shortly after 3 p.m. that officers were responding to an “active shooter incident” at or near the In-N-Out Burger. Police asked people to avoid the area as city, county and state authorities responded.

Video posted on social media and obtained by CBS News showed people running from a shopping center parking lot as multiple gunshots could be heard. In the video, a person carrying what appeared to be a firearm could be seen outside the restaurant opening the doors to a parked sedan.

Authorities shut down roads and a nearby bridge during the response. Palmer later said a shelter-in-place order for the area had been lifted and roads were being reopened while the investigation continued. People were being taken by bus to the Twin Falls County Courthouse, where authorities asked them to provide witness accounts, Palmer told NBC News.

Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador said in a social media post that Twin Falls police, Idaho State Police, fire crews and paramedics were on the scene “working to secure the area.”

Nearby businesses also took precautions. A Chick-fil-A in the area said it would close for the rest of the day. “Out of an abundance of caution, Chick-fil-A Twin Falls will be closed for the remainder of today,” the restaurant said.

Magic Valley Mall, which is nearby, was closed, and people inside were told to remain where they were, according to a public safety employee there. “We are currently in a lockdown,” the employee said. “There has been a mass shooting.”

The In-N-Out location opened July 24 and is the California-based chain’s fourth restaurant in Idaho, according to a company news release cited by NBC News.

Twin Falls is in southern Idaho, about 120 miles southeast of Boise.