WASH. ATTACK CARRIES 5 MURDER CHARGES
FBI says it has found no evidence that links sole gunman to terrorism
“I instantly recognized that this is the person that I just viewed on my computer. He said nothing. He was kind of zombie- like.” Lt. Mike Hawley, Island County Sheriff’s Office
The man accused of fatally shooting five people at a mall in Burlington, Wash., was held without bond Sunday and faces five counts of first- degree murder, according to jail records.
The suspect, Arcan Cetin, 20, of Oak Harbor, Wash., was arrested Saturday night in Oak Harbor, about 29 miles southwest of Burlington, after a manhunt that lasted more than 20 hours. Cetin had not been formally charged in connection with the killings Friday night at Macy’s inside the mall.
Tips from the public helped police arrest Cetin after officials distributed photos of the suspect.
The suspect, who immigrated from Turkey with his family, “is a legal, permanent resident of the United States,” said Lt. Chris Cammock of the Mount Vernon Police Department.
No evidence pointed to terrorism, Michael Knutson, assistant special agent in charge of the Seattle FBI, said at a news conference late Saturday. Authorities suspect Cetin was the only gunman.
The motive for the shooting that killed four women and a man remained unclear. Cetin’s ex- girlfriend used to work at the store but hasn’t in several months and lives in another county. KING 5 reported that Cetin possessed three guns Friday night, all legally purchased, but Cetin stole them from a family member. The weapon used Friday night was a .22 Ruger, according to law enforcement, KING 5 reported.
Cetin has a criminal record that includes three assault charges related to domestic violence, his stepfather being the victim, the Seattle Times reported. Cetin also was arrested on a drunken driving charge, the Times said.
A judge told Cetin on Dec. 29 that he could not possess a firearm, according to the Times. His stepfather convinced the judge not to impose a no- contact order. He said his stepson was “going through a hard time.”
Lt. Mike Hawley of the Island County Sheriff’s Office said deputies spotted Cetin’s car near their office in Oak Harbor Saturday night, but no one was inside.
“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.
“He said nothing,” Hawley said. “He was kind of zombie- like.”
Surveillance footage from the mall shows the suspect entering the building late Friday without a weapon but walking into Macy’s 10 minutes later with what appeared to be a hunting rifle. He fired in the makeup area, then fled on foot out of range of cameras.
The four female victims died at the scene. The male victim died later at Harbor view Medical Center.
One of the victims was a 16- yearold girl who beat cancer, the Seattle Times and KOMO- TV reported.
Snohomish County Court said one of the victims was Belinda Galde, a longtime probation officer, according to KOMO- TV.
Galde and Beatrice Dotson, a mother and daughter, both died in the cosmetics section of the Macy’s department store where the shooting occurred.
The Seattle Times reported other victims were Shayla Martin, 52, a Macy's employee, and Chuck Eagan, a Boeing employee who was just about to retire. Eagan and his wife began running when the shooter opened fire.