Manhunt continues for Cascade Mall shooter; ID still not known

BURLINGTON -- Police are still searching for the gunman who opened fire Friday evening in Burlington's Cascade Mall, killing five people.

Police said they do not yet have an identity for the suspect. He was still on the loose at 8:45 a.m. Saturday, police said, and there was no indication of his whereabouts.

Additional pictures of the suspect were released.



Five people are confirmed dead following the shooting at the Macy’s store.

Officials updated the media at a press conference Saturday morning in Skagit County, releasing a more detailed version of the shooting.

According to Lieutenant Chris Cammock with the Mount Vernon Police Department, the suspect walked into the mall shortly before 7 p.m. without a gun. He then entered Macy's 10 minutes later with a rifle. He opened fire and hit five victims -- four females and one male.

The four females -- ranging in age from teens to seniors -- were pronounced dead at the scene. The man was taken to Harborview Medical Center where he was pronounced dead early Saturday morning.

At the height of the incident, about 200 law enforcement agents were on scene.



The names of the victims have not yet been released.

A rifle was found at the scene of the shooting. A motive in the shooting was not known.

Officials describe the suspect as a young male, believed to be in his teens or early 20s. He is about 5'9" tall with a medium build. He was last seen heading south from the mall.

Police encouraged anyone who recognized the suspect to call 911 or law enforcement at 360-428-3211. There were no indications the shooting was a terrorist act, officials said.

The mall and surrounding parking lots remain closed for the investigation. Mall patrons whose cars remain in the lot will be able to retrieve their vehicles later Saturday.

A woman who was inside a Washington state mall when a gunman opened fire - fatally shooting five - says she's "thankful for my life this morning."



Nineteen-year-old Joanne Burkholder was watching the movie "The Magnificent Seven" in a theater at the Cascade Mall on Friday night when police and security came in and told them they needed to evacuate.

She said she heard screaming as they were escorted out into the parking lot in Burlington.

She said: "I've never been so terrified in my life."

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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