Twin Falls, Idaho, Aug. 2 (ANI): Multiple people were killed and several others were injured in a shooting at a fast-food restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Saturday afternoon, CNN reported, citing local officials.
Josh Palmer, the city’s public information officer, confirmed that the gunman is dead, after which all shelter-in-place orders were lifted.
Addressing reporters Saturday evening, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said, “We believe that the threat to the community is over.”
Although city officials have not officially confirmed the exact death toll, information previously provided to CNN indicated that at least three people were killed, though it remains unclear whether the gunman was included in that initial figure.
Investigators are working to determine the suspect’s identity and the motive behind the attack. Hicks said the suspect “was nearby on the scene there, and we are working to try to ascertain his identity and the motivations behind that.”
Video footage recorded during the incident showed panicked customers and employees, identifiable by their red aprons and branded paper hats, running into the parking lot as multiple gunshots rang out.
Authorities believe a lone gunman was responsible for the attack, although Palmer told CNN investigators are working “to determine now some of the other individuals who may have been involved in it.”
The shooting occurred at a newly opened fast-food restaurant that had been in operation for only a week. Located in a busy commercial district on the north side of Twin Falls, the restaurant is surrounded by hotels and retail businesses serving the regional hub, approximately 130 miles southeast of Boise.
The incident adds to a broader pattern of public mass shootings across the United States that have forced people to flee everyday locations, including food festivals, parades, places of worship and community gatherings, according to CNN.
In the aftermath of the shooting, authorities temporarily closed surrounding roads and the Perrine Bridge, the primary crossing over the Snake River Canyon. Urging the public to avoid relying on unverified information, Palmer said, “I would caution people; we’re seeing a lot of misinformation on social media, so just be cautious.”
Expressing gratitude to emergency responders, Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo wrote on X, “I’m grateful for the swift response of Idaho’s first responders.” (ANI)
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