Ogden Off-Duty Officer Killed Trolley Gunman

SALT LAKE CITY An off-duty police officer from Ogden killed the 18-year-old gunman who shot nine people–five of them fatally–at Trolley Square mall Monday night, according to Ogden Police Chief Jon Greiner.

Greiner says the officer was at the mall with his wife celebrating Valentine's Day two days early. He didn't release the officer's name.

In Greiner's words, "Thank goodness he was there."

On Monday evening, an Talovic Sulejmen, 18, of Salt Lake City opened fire on shoppers in a mall, killing five and wounding four others before police fatally shot him. He was armed with several rounds of ammunition and was carrying two guns, authorities said Tuesday.

Salt Lake Police Chief Chris Burbank said Sulejmen arrived at the mall just before 7 p.m. He parked his car in the west terrace. Once he got of his car, he encountered two people and shot at them.

He continued into the west entrance of the mall and shot a female inside. He then entered a gift shop and shot all five people inside the store. The shooter encountered two other people before the off-duty officer was able to track him down and distract him, according to Burbank.

He was firing with a shotgun, and also had a handgun and several rounds of ammunition, investigators say.

``We're still trying to figure out what the motive was,'' Salt Lake City police Detective Robin Snyder said.

Sudden jihad syndrome, perhaps?