Five dead in Washington state mall shooting

Hours after a shooting at a shopping mall in Burlington, Washington, police on Saturday have confirmed that a fifth victim - initially in critical condition in hospital - has now died.

Four people had already been confirmed dead following Friday's shooting, which occurred in the makeup section of Macy's department store at the Cascade Mall. The suspect, who is believed to have acted alone, is still on the loose. The Skagit County Department of Emergency Management described the suspect as Hispanic and dressed in black. 

 

Sergeant Mark Francis of the Washington State Patrol confirmed in a press conference that the first four victims were all women. The fifth victim is male, and died after being transferred to the trauma center at Seattle's Harborview Medical Center. Francis added that the weapon used in the shooting was a long, hunting-style rifle.

After the shooting, police worked to clear the mall of survivors and ensure there were no additional threats. Survivors were taken to a nearby church, where they could be picked up and taken home. The entire mall is being treated as a crime scene, and anyone with a car in the parking lot was told to pick it up on Saturday.

Officials from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI are involved in the investigation as well. A press conference is scheduled for Saturday morning, local time, to provide an update on the investigation.

The Cascade Mall in Burlington is about 110 kilometers (70 miles) north of Seattle. The Canadian border is about 80 kilometers to the north along Interstate 5.