Washington mall shooting suspect appears in court

He is charged with five counts of murder, held on $ 2M bond

BURLINGTON, WASH. The man accused of fatally shooting five people in a mall confessed to police and was charged Monday with five counts of premeditated murder, according to court records.

Arcan Cetin appeared in Skagit County District Court on Monday to face charges for the deaths of four women and a man. Cetin spoke only to answer the judge’s questions. He is being held on a $ 2 million bond.

An arrest affidavit says Cetin’s parents told police he took a .22caliber rifle and ammunition from his father’s home.

Surveillance video from the mall showed the suspect walking into the Macy’s store on Friday evening, shooting the five people, placing the rifle on the cosmetics counter, and then walking out.

Police arrested the Turkish immigrant, 20, on Saturday night in Oak Harbor following a 20- hour manhunt. Tips from the public helped police arrest Cetin, a legal, permanent resident, after officials distributed photos of the suspect, said Lt. Chris Cammock of the Mount Vernon Police Department. The motive remained unclear. In an affidavit, Mount Vernon, Wash., police officer Dave Shackleton said Cetin confessed after being advised of his rights.

Three times in court, Cetin responded “Yes, your honor,” during his brief appearance. With his hands shackled, Cetin signed a court document acknowledging the charges against him and was then escorted from the room.

Speaking outside the courthouse Monday, Cetin’s stepfather, David Marshall, said the family is “totally devastated by what has happened. We are torn up. We are hurt, and that’s all I can say.”

He said his stepson “has had mental health issues that we have been trying to work on with him.”

“We are torn up. We are hurt. ... ( Arcan Cetin) has had mental health issues that we have been trying to work on with him.” David Marshall, Arcan Cetin’s stepfather