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Arcan Cetin, man suspected of killing 5 at Washington mall, arrested


This undated Department of Licensing photo posted Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, by the Washington State Patrol on its Twitter page shows Arcan Cetin, 20, of Oak Harbor, Wash. (Washington State Patrol via AP)
This undated Department of Licensing photo posted Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, by the Washington State Patrol on its Twitter page shows Arcan Cetin, 20, of Oak Harbor, Wash. (Washington State Patrol via AP)
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OAK HARBOR, Wash. (KOMO) - A man suspected of killing five people at Burlington's Cascade Mall on Friday night has been arrested in Oak Harbor after a 20-hour manhunt.

The Washington State Patrol identified the suspect as 20-year-old Arcan Cetin. He emigrated from Turkey and is a legal U.S. resident, according to an initial police investigation. Cetin graduated from Oak Harbor High School in 2015.

During a Saturday night news conference, police said they were able to identify their suspect via tips and surveillance video showing the suspect's car. Surveillance video showed Cetin come into a store unarmed about 10 minutes before the shooting. Police believe he went back to the car to get the rifle.

Cetin's car was later spotted in Oak Harbor. Lt. Mike Hawley of the Island County Sheriff’s Office said he was patrolling the neighborhood and spotted Cetin walking along the street.

"As we were driving by, I see the fella walking across the street and I go, 'Oh, that's him,'" Hawley told KOMO News. "So, I whipped a real quick U-turn and hit the lights, pulled my gun, and he was under arrest."

Hawley described Cetin as being almost "like a zombie."

"I said, 'you're under arrest' and he didn’t say much - well, he didn’t say anything at all," Hawley said.

He said Cetin was not armed.

"He was carrying a little leather satchel with a computer in it and that's about it," Hawley said. "He didn’t say much at all."

The arrest ends an intense manhunt that had been ongoing across northern Washington after a gunman walked into the Macy's store and opened fire, killing four women and a man before escaping.

Authorities found a rifle at the scene. Investigators still haven’t figured out a motive for the shootings.

The identities of the victims - four women who ranged in age from a teenager to a senior citizen - were withheld by officials pending autopsies and notification of family. The identity of the man who was fatally shot was also withheld and may not be released until Monday.

However, a family friend has identified the teenage victim as Sarai Lara, a 16-year-old girl who had survived cancer.

"She was a strong girl, she told me a lot about her life and I trusted her with everything," the friend told KOMO News. "She gave me advice and helped me through a lot. She told me about (losing) her hair and everything."

They're asking fellow classmates to wear pink and purple in her honor on Monday.

"I never expected it to happen to someone that I knew and that I cared about," said friend Rachel Marsh.

The Skagit County District Court identified a second victim as Belinda Galde, a longtime probation officer.

"She was an amazingly kind and caring individual who was much adored by her friends, her coworkers, and the thousands of probationers [whom] she helped find a better way to live," the court said in a statement.

Cetin will be booked into the Skagit County Jail and will likely make his first court appearance on Monday. His family has been cooperating with police, officials said.

Meanwhile, dozens of people attended a prayer service for the victims at Central United Methodist Church in Sedro-Woolley.

The Rev. Cody Natland lit five candles on a table in front of the church, one for each victim.

Updates to follow as more details become available.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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