Washington police plead for help identifying mall shooter
Washington state authorities are turning to the public for help in identifying the man who shot and killed four women and one man Friday night at the Cascade Mall in Burlington, Wash.
The Skagit County Department of Emergency Management has released pictures from surveillance video showing the suspect carrying a rifle inside the mall while wearing a black T-shirt and shorts.
“We’re hoping what that will do is open up more leads and tips from the community that we can apprehend this individual,” Lt. Chris Cammock of the Mount Vernon Police Department said at a press conference Saturday.
Authorities believe the suspect is in his late teens to mid-20s. Cammock said police recovered a rifle from the scene but would not elaborate on its specific make.
“We do not have an identity on the individual yet, and we can certainly use the community’s help on that,” he said.
Local authorities have been tasked with balancing several challenges in the aftermath of the tragedy without compromising their work.
At the press conference, Cammock was asked to address the difficulties of processing a crime scene in a way that does not tarnish the integrity of the investigation while simultaneously tracking down the culprit and bringing him to justice.
“It seems like the identification of the victims is a critical part of this investigation. Can you talk maybe in broad terms about just how difficult that is?” a reporter asked.
As of midday Saturday, Washington state authorities had not released the identities of the five victims killed during the shooting. If the shooter had a connection to the victims, knowledge of their names might help identify him.
Cammock conceded that the response to active shootings is fraught with challenges, like making sure the scene is safe while also reassuring worried families about their loved ones.
“Probably one of the most difficult moments for us last night was knowing that there were family members outside wondering about if their loved one was in there,” Cammock said. “And, you know, we were restricted by the time it takes to clear and make it safe so we don’t have more victims in there. Clearing the mall for potentially a second shooter, a third shooter, we didn’t know at the time till we cleared it and got the facts of that.”
At the same time, Cammock explained, authorities will have to reconstruct the crime scene so a fair and transparent case is presented if the suspect is brought to trial.
“We want to make sure we are very careful and we are very cautious in our approach, and we’re very thorough as well,” he said. “It does take time in that regard.”
Skagit County Coroner Hayley Thompson, who is responsible for determining the cause of death and confirming the victims’ identities, said she has not been able to enter the crime scene because it’s still being processed.
“I have not seen any of these victims. I have not had a chance to get any information yet,” she said at the press conference. “The plan is once I gain access to the scene, I will do my part in processing and transporting those individuals to the Skagit County Hospital, where an autopsy will take place.”
Thompson said she has a pathologist on call who is ready to start that process as soon as possible. She will not be able to release any information on the victims until the autopsies are complete, she said.
At the same press conference, Burlington Mayor Steve Sexton thanked the first responders — nearly 200 people from 26 agencies — who he said did a fantastic job securing the scene and leading shoppers to safety.
“Our support goes with them, to extend the long arm of the law to bring this son of a bitch to justice who did this to our community,” he said. “Our community comes together at times of tragedy, and we’re going to do it again.”
Anyone with information about the attack or the suspect is asked to call 360-428-3211 or write to scinv@co.skagit.wa.us.
