Documents: Wash. mall shooting suspect confessed
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — Authorities say the suspect in a deadly Washington mall shooting has confessed.
According to court documents released Monday by the Skagit County Superior Court, Arcan Cetin told detectives “that it was him in the (surveillance) video and he did bring the rifle into Macy’s and shot all 5 victims.”
CBS affiliate KIRO reports that Cetin was inside the mall for approximately one minute during the shooting spree, according to the documents. Four women were killed at the scene, and a man who was critically injured later died.
The gun used in the shooting was a semiautomatic Ruger 10/22 that had a 25-round magazine loaded, according to police. Cetin’s father allegedly told investigators that his own Ruger 10/22 was missing, along with ammunition.
Cetin’s mother identified him from surveillance images of the suspect that were distributed after the shooting, according to court documents. She said she last saw him at his apartment on Sept. 21, two days before the shooting.
The 20-year-old Cetin was arrested Saturday evening after a nearly 24-hour manhunt following the slayings at the Cascade Mall in Burlington. Police circulated surveillance images of the suspected gunman during the search.
Cetin, who faces five charges of premeditated murder and is being held on $2 million bond, made an initial court appearance late Monday morning.
The suspect was led in by court officers while wearing a blue button down shirt.
He calmly responded “Yes, your honor” to a series of basic questions asked by a judge, including whether he understood his rights and the charges against him.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Oct. 26.