Suspect in the Washington mall shooting voted, but he's not a citizen

Arcan Cetin, the suspect in the Washington mall shooting, might also face an investigation into his voting record.

News station KING-TV discovered he voted in three elections over the past three years, even though he isn't a U.S. citizen.

He moved from Turkey as a child and holds a green card, so he's considered a permanent resident. But permanent residents don't have all the same rights that a citizen would.

See photos from the case

He was arrested the day after the shooting, walking down the street in what police called a "zombie-like" state. His stepfather said he had anxiety and depression, and records show a mental health facility previously tried to have the suspect involuntarily committed.

He was charged with assault in 2015 over an incident with his stepfather.

State officials said that since Washington doesn't require proof of citizenship, their hands are essentially tied.

"We don't have a provision in state law that allows us either county elections officials or the secretary of state's office to verify someone's citizenship," Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman told KING-TV.

Voter fraud isn't nonexistent in the U.S., but it's also not exactly a wide scale problem. One analysis found that only about one in every 15 million votes was fraudulent between 2000 and 2012.

The suspect is facing five counts of first-degree premeditated murder. Police haven't ruled out terrorism as a motive but say there's no evidence he had any links to terrorist groups. His bail has been set at $2 million.