5 killed in Washington mall shooting (Third Lead)

The death toll now stands at five in the mass shooting at a Burlington, Washington, mall after a critically wounded person died, the state police reported on Saturday.

Washington State Patrol spokesman Sgt. Mark Francis said on Twitter that a wounded man, who had been taken to a nearby hospital had died.

About 7 p.m. on Friday night, a young man carrying a rifle entered the Macy's store at the Cascade Mall in Burlington, about 105 km (65 miles) north of Seattle, where he opened fire in the cosmetics section, killing four women and wounding the man, after which he fled, EFE news quoted the police as saying.

The shooter headed north on Interstate 5 after the attack, Francis said.

A grainy security camera photo of a young, slender man with short, dark hair carrying a rifle whom authorities said is the lone suspect -- and whom some have described as a "Hispanic" in his 20's -- was released and the public was asked to help identify him.

Law enforcement authorities are not certain of his motive or any relationship he may have had with one or more of the victims, Francis said.

Authorities have not released the names of the victims and say they will not do so until autopsies are completed.

The FBI said they see no indications of terrorism in the attack, although the investigation is in its preliminary phase and no suspect has yet been arrested.

Authorities have mounted a large manhunt for the shooter but he has not yet been located.

The shooter, dressed in a black shirt and shorts did not originally enter the mall with the rifle, EFE news quoted police official Tom Moser as saying.

The police have recovered the rifle, but at present they refused to provide more information about it.

Mount Vernon police Lt. Chris Cammock refused to confirm or deny rumours that the young man is Hispanic, saying that was just the conclusion of some people who had viewed the publicly-posted security camera photo of the suspect.

--IANS

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