Posted on 09/24/16
| News Source: Chicago Tribune
Authorities say the suspect in a deadly shooting at a Washington state mall is in custody.
The Skagit County Department of Emergency Management said via Twitter Saturday evening that the suspect had been captured. No other details were immediately available. A news conference was set for Saturday night.
A gunman opened fire at the Cascade Mall in Burlington, Washington, Friday night, killing four females and a male before fleeing. Law enforcement staged a massive search over more than 20 hours for the suspect, initially described by witnesses as a young Hispanic male wearing black.
Authorities had said that a rifle had been found at the scene.
The motive was unknown for the shooting about 60 miles north of Seattle. The FBI was assisting local authorities, but it said there was no evidence to point to terrorism.
The first 911 call came in just before 7 p.m. on a busy Friday night at the Cascade Mall: A man with a rifle was shooting at people in the Macy's Department Store.
By the time police arrived moments later, the carnage at the Macy's makeup counter was complete. Four people were dead and the shooter was gone, last seen walking toward Interstate 5. A fifth victim, a man, died in the early morning hours Saturday as police finished sweeping the 434,000-square-foot building.
"There are people waking up this morning and their world has changed forever. The city of Burlington has probably changed forever, but I don't think our way of life needs to change," Burlington Mayor Steve Sexton said Saturday at a news conference. "This was a senseless act. It was the world knocking on our doorstep and it came into our little community."
As the small city absorbed the tragic news, critical questions remained, including the identity of the shooter, his motive and his whereabouts. A massive manhunt continued and police broadcast a plea for tips. The FBI said terrorism was not suspected.
The gunman was described by witnesses to police as a young Hispanic man dressed in black. Surveillance video captured him entering the mall unarmed and then recorded him about 10 minutes later entering the Macy's with a "hunting type" rifle in his hand, Mount Vernon police Lt. Chris Cammock said.
Authorities did not say how the suspect may have obtained the weapon — whether he retrieved it from outside or picked it up in the mall — but they believe he acted alone. The weapon was recovered at the scene.
The identities of the victims — four women who ranged in age from a teenager to a senior citizen — were withheld pending autopsies and notification of family. The identity of the man who was fatally shot was also withheld and may not be released until Monday.
"Probably one of the most difficult moments for us last night was knowing that there were family members wondering about their loved ones in there," Cammock said.
As police scrambled to find the shooter, the small city about 60 miles (97 kilometers) north of Seattle settled into a new and nerve-wracking reality.
The community of 8,600 people is too far from Seattle to be a commuter town, but...read more at Chicago Tribune