US mall shooting gunman identified, motive still unknown

WASHINGTON DC, USA – A gunman who opened fire in a shopping mall near Washington DC, killing two people before taking his own life, was a 19-year-old armed with a shotgun and crude homemade explosives, police said Sunday, January 26.

Dario Marcus Aguilar fired six to eight shots during the attack at the Columbia Mall Saturday, killing two employees of a skateboard shop, Howard Country Police Chief Bill McMahon said. (READ: Three killed in mall shooting near US capital – police)

Police are investigating whether the shooter, who was from the nearby town of College Park, Maryland, had any prior relationship with the victims.

“Once we can establish if there is any relationship or not, that will certainly help us to identify the next big question which is why this happened,” McMahon told reporters.

Police identified the victims as Brianna Benlolo, 21, also of College Park, and Tyler Johnson, 25, of Ellicott City, Maryland. Both were employees of skateboard store Zumiez.

Five injured shooting victims were also treated and released, Howard County General Hospital said Saturday. One had suffered a gunshot wound to a foot.

First responders were alerted to mid-morning gunfire Saturday at the mall, a favorite weekend spot for young families about 45 minutes outside downtown Washington, by an emergency police call indicating shots had been fired inside the two-story shopping center. – Rappler.com