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Accused Washington mall gunman admitted to killing 5, warrant says

"[He] has had mental health issues that we have been trying to work on him with. That's all I can say," the suspect's stepfather said Monday.

By Doug G. Ware
Arcan Cetin, 20, pictured here in a driver's license photo, was arrested Saturday for the shooting deaths of five people at a northwest Washington state mall a night earlier. He faces charges of first-degree murder and could spend life in prison if he's convicted. Photo courtesy Washington State Dept. of Licensing/Washington State Patrol
Arcan Cetin, 20, pictured here in a driver's license photo, was arrested Saturday for the shooting deaths of five people at a northwest Washington state mall a night earlier. He faces charges of first-degree murder and could spend life in prison if he's convicted. Photo courtesy Washington State Dept. of Licensing/Washington State Patrol

MOUNT VERNON, Wash., Sept. 26 (UPI) -- The man accused of opening fire indiscriminately at the Cascade Mall in northwest Washington state and killing five people confessed to the murders after he was captured Saturday, a police warrant says.

Arcan Cetin was arrested Saturday, several hours after the shootings occurred at the shopping center in the town of Burlington, about 65 miles north of Seattle.

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According to an arrest warrant, Cetin told officers he committed the crimes under questioning after he was found in a "zombie-like state" near his home. Officers located him after releasing a surveillance video image of the suspect the night of the shooting.

The warrant also said Cetin's parents provided some of the information that ultimately led to his capture, NBC News reported.

RELATED Sunday: Suspected gunman charged with 1st-degree murder in Wash. mall shooting

"We're torn up. we're hurt," David Marshall, the suspect's stepfather, said Monday. "Arcan has had mental health issues that we have been trying to work on him with. That's all I can say."

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Police believe Cetin may have taken his stepfather's rifle to commit the murders.

The 20-year-old man faces five counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of the victims, which include a 16-year-old girl. Cetin has not yet been formally charged but prosecutors have until Oct. 26 to file them.

RELATED Saturday: Manhunt underway for Seattle-area mall shooter who killed 5

Cetin is a permanent legal U.S. resident from Turkey. Investigators are still trying to determine a possible motive for the shootings.

Police sought to search Cetin's home and vehicle over the weekend, hoping they will yield additional clues as to why the shootings occurred. It was unclear what, if anything, was recovered.

Cetin appeared in court Monday and was ordered held on $2 million bail. If charged and convicted, he faces life in prison without parole.

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