ID: DAD, SON DESCRIBE SAVING LIVES IN IN-N-OUT SHOOTING
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TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KIVI) — A father and son from Burley are speaking exclusively to Idaho News 6 about the moments they stepped up during the mass shooting at the Twin Falls In-N-Out — taking a bullet and trying to save lives as chaos erupted around them.
Paul and Jason Cannon are among the good samaritans credited with saving lives when gunfire erupted at the In-N-Out drive-thru earlier this month. The shooting left three people dead and several others injured.
“We were going to make sure we got everybody out,” Paul said.
The pair say an off-duty Idaho State Police Trooper, Steve McClain, identified himself to them during the shooting, and the father and son sprang into action to back him up.
“I didn’t know exactly what was going on — but I know that we had to help,” Paul said.
“God… he urged me to get up and see what was going on,” Jason said.
“We followed him into the back area … my main thing was to get everybody out,” Paul said.
Surveillance video released by the Twin Falls Police Department shows Paul and Jason appearing as Trooper McClain clears the kitchen. That’s when they began trying to help Ashley Garibay, identified by Twin Falls Police as the first victim shot.
“I saw Ashley laying under the table, where they do the potatoes, and I turned around and tried to call 911 a couple times — I turned back around and she was already lying flat on her stomach,” Jason said.
The pair say Ashley was already gone.
Surveillance video shows the shooter returned just seconds later. According to video narration released by Twin Falls Police, the off-duty trooper and the gunman exchanged fire. The gunman retreated before returning to the payment window a fourth time, firing inside and striking a fourth victim — a good Samaritan who was attempting to assist the off-duty trooper and render aid to the victim inside.
That fourth victim was Paul.
“I saw the suspect turn around and he fired at us and I tried to shield my son — so I kind of turned and I got it right in the side,” Paul said.
Even with a gunshot wound to the abdomen, Paul kept trying to help others who were still hiding get out.
“All I know is that I wasn’t leaving anybody behind — so I told the girl hiding under the bench … ‘come on sweetie — I’ve got to get you out of here — if you don’t leave, I can’t leave’ and I said ‘I’ve been shot and I need to go to the hospital,'” Paul said.
Still bleeding, the two say they stayed to make sure no one else was left behind.
“My son tried to pick up Ashley and was having a hard time with her, so he ran out and got somebody else to come in — and that young man came in and grabbed Ashley and pulled her out — and then we went to the bathroom to make sure both bathrooms were cleared and then we cleared the rest of the restaurant,” Paul said.
Once outside, Jason focused on getting his father to the hospital — but chaos in the parking lot made that difficult. Another bystander stepped in to help.
“Another guy said, ‘hey I can get out — let me take you to the hospital’ — it was a pastor out of Hazelton and they asked if they could pray for me and I said ‘heck yeah, I could use all the prayer I could get’ and I apologized several times for bleeding all over his truck,” Paul said.
Paul was treated and released and is now back home recovering.
“I’ve got a lot of shrapnel in my arm — and my side and my back. But…” Paul said.
When I asked if he was doing OK, he smiled.
“Yeah, I’m here today,” Paul said.
Paul and Jason say they don’t consider themselves heroes. They say the true heroes are those who lost their lives, the first responders, and those who fought back.
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