As the small city absorbed the news, critical questions remained, including the shooter's motive.
Island County Sheriff's Lt Mike Hawley said he spotted Arcan Cetin from a patrol car yesterday evening in Oak Harbor, Washington, and immediately recognised him as the suspect who killed five people at the Cascade Mall in nearby Burlington.
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.
"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.
The first 911 call came in just before 7.00 PM (local time)on a busy Friday at the Cascade Mall- A man with a rifle was shooting at people in the Macy's department store.
Four people were dead, and the shooter was gone, last seen walking toward Interstate 5. The fifth victim, a man, died in the early morning hours yesterday 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 yesterday at a news conference.
Authorities said it now appears the rifle was brought into the mall from the suspect's vehicle that was there, Mount Vernon police Lt Chris Cammock said yesterday night.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
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