Suspect in NJ Paramus Mall Shooting Found Dead by police

A gunman who terrorized patrons of a shopping mall in Paramus, New Jersey on Monday evening was found dead by police officers searching the grounds after he disappeared. Local police officials determined that the lone gunman used his weapon to kill himself rather than be captured by the authorities. Witnesses say that the 20-year old man, identified as Richard Shoop, fired six rounds into the crowd using a modified rifle. People began to panic and run for the mall exits and police ordered the total evacuation of the mall in order to search for the gunman himself.

Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli said Shoop had stolen the rifle he used in the shooting from his brother.

“He came to the mall and fired what is at least six rounds at random striking several different locations,” Molinelli said. Panic quickly spread among shoppers and mall employees, he said.

Reports of gunfire were first filed with the police around 9 p.m., leading to the evacuation of thousands of Monday night shoppers from the Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ. Many people who were shopping say that when they first heard gunfire, they immediately thought about the Nairobi mall involved in a terrorist attack that killed more than 60 people about two months ago. The mall is located about 20 miles to the north of New York City and is one of the largest shopping venues in the state of New Jersey. Police reveal that the shooter had a history using drugs.

The mall, which has more than 270 stores, is located about 15 miles northwest of Manhattan.

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Suspect in New Jersey mall shooting found dead
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