Three killed in shooting at In-N-Out in Twin Falls, Idaho; gunman dead

A gunman killed three people and wounded seven at an In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, Idaho. The suspect, Chad Williams, 24, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Three dead after gunman opens fire at In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls

Three people were killed and seven others wounded after a gunman opened fire at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Saturday, according to pbs.org. The suspect, identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams, was found dead nearby from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police confirmed on Sunday.

Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said at a news conference that investigators are confident Williams acted alone. Two of the injured had been treated and released from hospital by Sunday; three remained in a stable condition and two were listed as critical.

An off-duty state trooper and an armed civilian both returned fire during the attack, drawing the gunman away from the restaurant before he fled the scene. Hicks credited the pair with limiting the death toll.

"We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties," Hicks said. "We want to take a moment and commend the actions of the off-duty officer and the citizen, and their heroic action to stop this incident."

The identities of the trooper and the civilian were not immediately disclosed. Detectives are continuing to work to establish Williams' motive; his family, police said, is cooperating fully with the investigation.

Hicks also warned that false information was circulating online naming a different individual as the shooter. That man, he said, had "no involvement in this incident whatsoever."

'We lost one of our beautiful associates'

One of those killed was a member of staff. In-N-Out owner Lynsi Snyder addressed the loss in a statement posted on social media early Sunday.

"My heart is broken, my chest is heavy, my eyes burn from the tears I've shed. We lost one of our beautiful Associates tonight," Snyder wrote. "In-N-Out will be mourning with the families and praying for them as they tread through a very painful season."

Snyder did not name the employee. Officials said they were still notifying relatives and were not yet releasing the names, ages or further details of those killed or wounded. The FBI separately urged the public to submit any images or video related to the Saturday attack.

The restaurant had opened only about a week before the shooting, on 24 July, as part of the California-based chain's recent expansion into Idaho.

Eyewitnesses describe chaos in the car park

The attack unfolded around 2 p.m. local time in a busy shopping plaza. Hundreds of people were in the area when the shooting began.

Lane Koehn, 34, told reporters he was waiting at a nearby traffic light when he saw a man emerge from the drive-thru carrying an AR-style rifle. A second man with a pistol immediately opened fire on the shooter. Koehn then watched an In-N-Out employee drag a colleague — also in uniform and bleeding from a chest wound — across the car park. He and the armed civilian stayed with her until paramedics arrived.

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

He said the gunman fired at least three or four rounds, and it was not clear whether any specific person was targeted.

Video recorded by a driver on the opposite side of the road showed a figure dressed in black approach a white car with a long rifle, open the driver-side door and pop the boot. The driver filming immediately left the scene, fearing the man was retrieving additional weapons.

Twin Falls resident Haley Dodaro, 43, was in the drive-thru queue with her mother when she saw people sprinting across the road and workers rushing out of the restaurant. A man in a reflective vest directing traffic told her there was a shooter.

"People were running out crying and screaming. It was very scary," Dodaro said in a text message to the Associated Press.

Nayeli Rodriguez, 40, from nearby Burley, was inside the restaurant with her daughters when she heard shots from the kitchen. An employee told customers to get down. Rodriguez said an older man shielded her and her daughters as they made their way out.

"We were trying to get as far as we could and some angels let us in their car," Rodriguez said. "I left my car there in the parking lot."

Twin Falls is situated approximately 130 miles (205 kilometres) south-east of Boise and around 40 miles (64 kilometres) north of the Nevada state border.

Source: The Sun