Richard Shoop, New Jersey mall shooter, found dead with note and stolen rifle
The gunman who opened fire in a crowded New Jersey shopping mall late Monday was found dead, killing himself, and police now discuss his note and claim he stole the rifle from his brother.
Richard Shoop, age 20, shot at least six rounds from a modified rifle seemingly at random and without hitting anyone, before turning the gun on himself in a back area of the mall, Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli told a news conference early on Tuesday.
Molinelli said it appeared Shoop went into the mall with the intention of committing suicide, not to hurt others.
“He left a note,” Molinelli said. “It’s a bit ambiguous. I’m hesitant to say it’s a suicide note. It does express that an end is coming. It could have been prison. It could have been what he did last night.”
Shoop used a rifle that had been modified to look like an AK-47 and that he had stolen from his brother, who owned it legally, Molinelli said.
Police had evacuated thousands of people from the mall and launched a manhunt after shoppers reported hearing gunshots.
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.
There were no other injuries.
Photo/Minnesota Historical Society via wikimedia commons
