US mall shooting suspect confesses to slayings

The young man accused of killing five people in a Washington state shopping mall before leading authorities on a nearly 24-hour manhunt has confessed to the slayings, according to court documents released Monday.

The documents filed in Skagit Court say Arcan Cetin told detectives who interviewed him that “he did bring the rifle into Macy’s and shot all five victims.”

Suspected Cascade Mall shooter Arcan Cetin at Skagit County Jail in Mount Vernon, Washington, after his arrest in Oak Harbor, Washington, earlier this evening of September 24, 2016,.The image from a video by KIRO7 photographer Jeff Ritter. (Jeff Ritter/KIRO7.com via AP)

The 20-year-old was arrested Saturday evening following the slayings at the Cascade Mall in Burlington, on Friday evening.

Cetin, who faces five charges of premeditated murder, will be making an initial court appearance late Monday morning. Authorities are asking that he be held on a $2 million bond.

As the surrounding area absorbed news of the arrest, critical questions remained, including the gunman’s motive. The FBI said early Saturday that there was no indication the shooting was terrorism, but local authorities said later in the day that they were ruling nothing out.

— AP