Ballistics tests were still being conducted Friday to determine how many shots were fired in the mall by Talovic and the officers, as well as how many times Talovic was hit and by which officers.

Both Miller and Burbank praised the officers for their quick response and for putting their own lives on the line by seeking the gunman. It is traumatic for an officer to go toward the sound of gunfire and actively seek a shooter, Burbank said.

"The shots never stopped," he said. "He was shooting anyone and anything. Had he gone into a movie theater or crowded restaurant, who knows how many more people would have lost their lives."

Seeking a motive

As for a motive for the killings, Burbank told the Deseret Morning News after the press conference that his investigators were still looking for one.

"We're making progress. I feel we're getting somewhere, but I have no answers to give out right now," he said.

Although nothing will be completely ruled out in the search for a motive, some of the possibilities that have been rumored on Internet blog sites so far seem to have no merit, Burbank said.

For instance, detectives as of Friday had found no evidence that violent video games may have influenced Talovic. In fact, Talovic did not even own a computer or a video-game system, Burbank said.

Investigators also had not "found anything that has religious or political motivation" or shown that Talovic's ethnicity was a factor, the chief said. In fact, Burbank said he's both amazed and concerned that so many people seem to be hung up on the fact Talovic was a Muslim from Bosnia.

"It worries me (that the public) is going to condemn an entire race or community based on the actions of one individual," he said.

The department has worked hard over the years to eliminate bias from police work, he added.

As for where Talovic obtained his weapons, Burbank said, "We have an idea and we're working on it," and declined to give further details.

Until then, he said, his investigators will continue interviewing anyone who had contact with Talovic, although it appears the young man didn't have any close friends.

"It appears he was kind of a loner, from what we can gather," Burbank said.

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E-mail: preavy@desnews.com