Suspect dead, no other injuries in N.J. mall shooting
A gunman who caused widespread panic at a large Northern New Jersey mall Monday night as he walked through the hallways, firing his weapon in the air, shot and killed himself Tuesday morning, authorities said.
No customers or employees were injured by the man, identified by the authorities as Richard Shoop, 20, of Teaneck, N.J.
Shoop entered the Garden State Plaza in Paramus about 9:20 p.m. Monday and roamed the hallways of the shopping center, shooting in the air and at security cameras, before taking his own life, according to the Bergen County prosecutor, John Molinelli.
His body was found by authorities at 3:20 a.m. Tuesday, “very, very deep in an area that was under construction” in the mall, Molinelli said.
Shoop was found with a firearm that was modified to look like an AK-47 assault rifle, Molinelli said.
“It was a lawful weapon that was owned by his brother,” he said. Authorities said they believed Shoop had stolen the gun before heading to the mall.
Shoop fired at least six shots, authorities said, and although no bystanders were injured, he caused widespread panic.
Kevin Shoop, Richard Shoop’s brother, spoke on the family’s front lawn Tuesday.
“My brother intended to harm nobody else but himself,” he said. “Sadly,” he continued, his brother chose “an act of self-indulgence by taking his life publicly.”
Shoop did not say whether he was the owner of the gun used by his brother.
Beside Shoop and behind him were two women, identified by neighbors as his sister and mother.
It was unclear when Richard Shoop fired his first shot, but by 9:15 p.m., witnesses said, it was clear that something was wrong.
Fabio Rocha of North Bergen, N.J., got a frantic call from his wife, Maria, from inside the mall, saying she had just walked past a man with a “big gun.”
She fled and found a place to hide, but like many who described coming face-to-face with Shoop, she said he did not aim his weapon at her.
Instead, witnesses described seeing him shoot at security cameras or into the air.
Law enforcement officials said that Shoop was perhaps looking to commit “suicide by police” and that, when he did not encounter a police officer, he took his own life. The police found a note in Shoop’s home but would not comment on its contents, Molinelli said.