Twin Falls, Idaho — Lives may have been saved by a bystander who distracted a gunman during a shooting at an In-N-Out Burger on Saturday, as reported by a witness.
Lane Koehn, 34, observed the incident from a stoplight near the establishment. He saw a person armed with an AR-style rifle emerge from the drive-thru. The suspect fired at a car in front of Koehn, then aimed towards him.
“I could tell he was trying to figure out where to go, and somebody in the drive-thru line with a handgun was shooting at him,” Koehn stated, describing the shooter’s panic and erratic movements.
Koehn credits the armed bystander with preventing further shootings. “The shooter was solely focused on him, and it allowed us to get out,” Koehn explained. The car ahead of him was being targeted, giving occupants time to flee.
The duration of the event Koehn witnessed was approximately 10 to 15 minutes, although he was unsure about prior happenings. Authorities have yet to identify both the shooter and the bystander.
According to Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks, three individuals lost their lives and at least five others sustained injuries. The gunman is deceased, though Hicks did not specify if this is part of the reported fatalities. Investigations into the shooter’s motive are ongoing.
Koehn recalled the chaos before law enforcement arrived. He maneuvered into a parking lot behind the In-N-Out, witnessing an employee tending to a co-worker with a gunshot wound.
“She was just screaming and screaming her name, telling her, ‘Wake up,’” Koehn recounted. The injured co-worker wavered between consciousness and unconsciousness.
A retired EMT was nearby and offered assistance until medical personnel arrived. Koehn noted the efficiency once the ambulance reached the scene.
Lynsi Snyder, president of In-N-Out Burger, confirmed a worker was among the deceased. Whether this was the same person Koehn saw is undetermined. “She was taking care of our most important asset — our customers, and her life was taken by a disgusting human who doesn’t value the lives of others or his own,” Snyder expressed.
The Twin Falls Police Department reassured the community about law enforcement response despite the incident, supported by various agencies including the Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office and Idaho State Police.
The FBI established a digital tip line for the public to submit multimedia from the incident to aid investigators.
Reporting by Dana Griffin from Twin Falls, Idaho, and Doha Madani from New York City.