Idaho fast-food shooting: Multiple dead, gunman also dead, police say

A gunman opened fire at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Saturday, killing an unspecified number of people, according to police. The suspect is also dead, authorities said.

Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks told reporters that the shooting at the fast-food restaurant "resulted in fatalities," but that investigators were still working to establish the exact number of victims.

"It was a very chaotic scene," Mr. Hicks said at a brief press conference.

The city spokesman, Josh Palmer, told NBC News that three people had been killed and two others wounded. He added that it was not yet clear whether the gunman was included in that casualty count.

Local media broadcast video footage appearing to show a young man carrying a long gun outside the restaurant. Other video shared on social media showed more than a dozen people fleeing the establishment.

Twin Falls is a city of approximately 56,000 residents in southern Idaho, about 180 miles (290 kilometers) northwest of Salt Lake City. The area is known for its scenic Snake River canyon and has not experienced a mass shooting in recent memory.

Police have not released the identity of the gunman or the victims, pending notification of next of kin. The motive for the attack remains under investigation.

The shooting is the latest in a string of gun violence incidents across the United States, reigniting public debate over firearms laws. However, federal authorities have cautioned that it is too early to draw conclusions about this specific case.

Officials have urged the public to avoid the area as the investigation continues. The Twin Falls Police Department is being assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Idaho State Police in the probe.