Richard Shoop of Teaneck, New Jersey is dead after being identified as the suspect in the shooting at Westfield Garden State Plaza Mall.
Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli said the body of Richard Shoop, 20, of Teaneck was found in a back area of the mall in Paramus. He said Shoop killed himself with the same weapon he used at the mall and that a note was found.
There were no other injuries.
Paramus Police Kenneth Ehrenberg said Shoop’s body was discovered around 3:20 a.m. Tuesday deep within a lower level of the mall that is not a public area. Shoop did not work at the mall, he said, and police are still seeking a possible motive for the shooting.
Shoop, 20, was employed at a restaurant in Teaneck, where he lives, two senior law enforcement officials told the New Jersey Star-Ledger.
Law enforcement officials had raided the home Shoop resided in, at 534 Emerson Ave, at about 12:50 a.m.
The officials moved through the neighborhood with guns drawn and knocked on the door, reported the Star-Ledger. A man opened the door holding a screwdriver, and officials screamed at him to “Drop it!”
The man said that his daughter and wife were inside after dropping to his knees
Police say that multiple shots were fired inside the mall at around 9:15 p.m. on Monday night, shortly before the mall was scheduled to close.
Over 200 law enforcement officers responded to the mall, which is about 20 miles from Manhattan.
A witness told the New Jersey Record that the gunman fired at least five shots as he was “strutting by.” Witnesses said the man had full tactical gear on, including body armor, and was carrying a rifle.
Clarice Forbes, a Talbots employee, described to NBC what she saw. “When he walked past our store, he looked directly in the store and strolled past,” she said. “It was very, very terrifying.”
The mall will be closed on Tuesday, officials said.
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