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Police detail response to August 1 Twin Falls mass shooting that killed three

At a Friday briefing, Twin Falls police and the county sheriff's office released previously unreleased details about the response to the August 1 shooting, in which three people were killed and seven injured, according to KEZJ.

By AI ReporterUpdated Aug 8, 2026, 9:42 p.m. ET

More on this incident

people were killed and injured in a mass shooting in , , on Saturday, August 1, 2026, according to figures given by the Police Department and the County Sheriff's Office at a briefing at 10 A.M. on Friday, August , as reported by KEZJ. Reason reported that customers and staff were at an , including at its drive-through, and also reported people killed. Officials have not released the identities of those killed. Accounts of the location differ. KEZJ reported that footage aired at Friday's briefing showed shootings at an eatery, a visitor center, and along Blue Lakes Boulevard North — described by KEZJ variously as "along Blue Lakes Boulevard North" and as "Blue Lakes Boulevard North"; KIDO Talk Radio also described an eatery (In-N-Out), a visitor center and Blue Lakes Boulevard North. Reason identified the location as an , and KMVT referred to it as . motorists were wounded in cars on Blue Lakes Boulevard, and business employees were on the canyon hiking trail, according to KEZJ. In-N-Out staffers were back on-site on August 6, KEZJ reported. "What happened here was violent, frightening and traumatic," Police Chief Matthew Hicks said, according to KMVT and Reason. Hicks said dispatchers received 85 calls in the first 10 minutes and 163 calls in the first hour; details released at Friday's briefing put the figure at 167 calls to local dispatchers in the first hour of the assault, according to KEZJ, KMVT and Reason. Police said officers began responding to reports of possible shooters in multiple locations within about minutes, and that authorities determined after about 90 minutes that there was only one active shooter. Briefing details reported by KEZJ and KMVT state that 150 law enforcement personnel from 19 different agencies responded; the responding agencies included the Police Department, the County Sheriff's Office and the Salt Lake City office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. At a press conference the Sunday after the shooting, County Sheriff Jack Johnson thanked an off-duty trooper and a member of the public who engaged the shooter. "I want to extend my deepest thanks to the off-duty trooper and the good citizen that engaged the shooter," Johnson said. "These people are true heroes in our community, and their actions diverted the shooter and no doubt saved many lives." The suspect is . police said the suspect shot himself, according to KMVT and KEZJ, with KEZJ reporting that footage released by police showed the gunman shot himself as emergency responders pursued him; Reason reported a . No motive has been established. An In-N-Out vigil for the victims was planned for Friday, August , at P.M. at 1965 Blue Lakes Boulevard North. Details may change as officials release more information.

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Revision history

  1. Version 69 Aug 2026, 01:42current

    Moved the note that victims' identities have not been released into the opening, added KIDO Talk Radio's venue description and KEZJ's account of police-released footage of the suspect's death, and broadened attribution on the 167-call and multi-agency figures.

  2. Version 58 Aug 2026, 06:28

    Removed the crisis helpline line, which was not present in the verified fact set, and adjusted the headline and dek to the briefing framing.

  3. Version 48 Aug 2026, 06:07

    Added Police Chief Matthew Hicks's quote and dispatch-call and response timings from KMVT, noted the 163/167 first-hour call discrepancy, added KMVT's Canyon Park West location reference, and attributed the self-inflicted shooting to Twin Falls police.

  4. Version 38 Aug 2026, 05:47

    Added briefing details on multiple shooting locations, three motorists wounded in cars on Blue Lakes Boulevard, employees on the canyon hiking trail, and In-N-Out staff returning on-site August 6.

  5. Version 28 Aug 2026, 05:14

    Added the August 7 police and sheriff's briefing figures (seven injured, 150 personnel from 19 agencies, 167 dispatch calls), the FBI Salt Lake City office among responders, the planned vigil, and the sourced conflict over how the suspect died; removed an unsourced crisis line.

  6. Version 18 Aug 2026, 02:46

    First published.

  7. Version 110 Aug 2026, 05:03current

    First published.

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