Police confirm man tried to buy gun before mall shooting
SEATTLE — Detectives have confirmed that the man accused of shooting and killing five people in a mall north of Seattle tried unsuccessfully to buy a handgun just hours before the slayings.
Arcan Cetin, 20, was identified by members of the Skagit County Multi-Agency Response Team Wednesday as the man on surveillance video recorded by the gun store, according to agency spokesman Sgt. Mark Francis.
The store owner said something was “off” about the man who came into her store between 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 23, asking about purchasing a .45-calibre handgun, the Seattle Times reported (https://goo.gl/1PsVgh ). The woman said she immediately decided not to sell him a firearm.
The store owner asked the newspaper to only identify her by her first name, Dawn, because of safety concerns.