Washington shooting suspect ‘zombie-like’ at arrest

Authorities have arrested a Turkish-born man suspected of shooting five people dead, including a teenaged cancer survivor, at a shopping mall in the U.S. state of Washington.

Washington State Trooper Mark Francis speaks to the media at the Cascade Mall following reports of an active shooter in Burlington, Washington, on September 23, 2016.

Police said he was taken into custody without incident in Oak Harbor, some 30 miles southwest of Burlington where the shooting occurred on Friday night.

The Cascade Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Burlington, Washington that opened in 1990, according to the mall’s website.

Authorities said the three weapons Cetin used in the Cascade Mall massacre were legally purchased, but stolen from one of his relatives.

“I saw an individual walking northbound on the sidewalk and I instantly recognized that this is the person that I just viewed on my computer”, Hawley said. Patrol Sgt. Mark Francis Saturday via Twitter identified Cetin as the suspect in a shooting at the Cascade Mall in Burlington, Wash., that left several dead and sparked an intensive, almost 24-hour manhunt.

Hawley said at a news conference they had received information that Cetin, of Oak Harbor, was in the area.

Mark Francis identified the suspect via Twitter as 20-year-old Arcan Cetin of Oak Harbor, Washington.

Court records show Cetin was told by a judge on December 29 that he was not to possess a firearm, the newspaper reported. Pastor Cody Natland lit a candle for each of the five killed, then invited congregants to call out prayers to the people they were thinking about. Authorities said that his ex-girl friend worked at the Macy’s store at the mall, but left several months ago and now lives in another county. The city of Burlington has probably changed forever, but I don’t think our way of life needs to change. However, according to CNN, that was said prior to the suspect’s arrest. Francis said authorities don’t yet know who is on the apartment lease or how long Cetin may have lived there.

“Probably one of the most hard moments last night was knowing that we had family of the victims out there wondering about their loved ones”, said Cammock, who commands the SMART Team.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said law enforcement officers were working to locate the shooter, and urged residents to follow instructions.

When officers approached him in Oak Harbor, he didn’t run.

The suspect did not appear to have a weapon when he entered the mall, but had a small “hunting-type” rifle when he walked into Macy’s and shot the victims near the store’s make-up counter.

Cetin is expected to appear in court on Monday.

The identities of the victims – four women who ranged in age from a teenager to a senior citizen – were withheld on Saturday pending autopsies and notification of family.

Maria Elena Vasquez attended a community gathering Saturday, and she said she was nervous about taking her 7-year-old daughter to her soccer game. The identity of the man who was fatally shot was not immediately released.

Sarai Lara was shopping for trousers Friday night at the mall with her younger sister, her mother, Evangelina Lara, told the Seattle Times through a translator. Authorities distributed blurry photos of the suspect online and asked the public for help in identifying him.

This story has been corrected to show that Mount Vernon police Lt. Chris Cammock said suspect was described as Hispanic, based on witness reports.

Baumann reported from Seattle.