Channels

Photo: Reuters
Arcan Cetin
Photo: Reuters

Suspect in Washington mall shooting arrested

The suspect in the shooting attack at a Macy's makeup counter, which left five people dead, was arrested by authorities Sunday. 'We both jumped out with our guns, and he just froze. He was kind of zombie-like.'

The 20-year-old suspect in the deadly Washington state mall shooting said nothing and appeared "zombie-like" when he was arrested by authorities nearly 24 hours into an intense manhunt, authorities said.

 

 

Island County Sheriff's Lt. Mike Hawley said he spotted Arcan Cetin from a patrol car Saturday evening in Oak Harbor, Washington, and immediately recognized him as the suspect who killed five people at the Cascade Mall in nearby Burlington.

 

Washington shooting suspect Arcan Cetin (Photo: Reuters) (Photo: Reuters)
Washington shooting suspect Arcan Cetin (Photo: Reuters)
 

 

Hawley said at a news conference they had received information that Cetin, of Oak Harbor, was in the area. Cetin, who immigrated to the US from Turkey, is a legal permanent resident who has been living in Oak Harbor, authorities said. He had been arrested once before in the county for assault, Hawley said.

 

"I literally hit my brakes, did a quick turn, I jumped out," Hawley said. "We both jumped out with our guns, and he just froze."

 

Cetin was unarmed and was carrying a satchel with a computer in it.

 

"He was kind of zombie-like," Hawley said.

 

The suspect's arrest capped a frantic search following the slayings of five people the day before at the Macy's makeup counter. Four people were killed at the scene and a fifth victim died in the early morning hours Saturday as police finished sweeping the 434,000-square-foot building. The shooter was last seen walking toward Interstate 5.

 

Surveillance video captured the suspect entering the mall unarmed and then recorded him about 10 minutes later entering the Macy's with a "hunting type" rifle in his hand, which authorities believe was brought into the store from the suspect's vehicle, Mount Vernon police Lt. Chris Cammock said. Initially the suspect was described as Hispanic, but Hawley said that was based on initial witness statements to the shooting at the mall.

 

Cetin has not been charged, Cammock said. He will be booked into the Skagit County Jail and is expected to appear in Skagit County District Court on Monday.

 

As the small city absorbed the tragic news, critical questions remained, including the shooter's motive.

 


פרסום ראשון: 09.25.16, 15:23
 new comment
Warning:
This will delete your current comment