That was my estimation too. But the new reports of his backpack having a bunch of homemade IED's has me wondering about motive. Could be was a self-converted wanna-be jihadist. Just didn't have the contacts to get good training. The explosives were apparently crude and simple devices with household common components. All that though makes it odd that he offed himself after killing just those two, and not continuing whatever presumably larger plan he had.
Was he confronted? Could be. Maybe the two, or one of them, was the target after all and he simply came armed for an extended search or stand off? Dunno. It's curious. Maybe wasn't actually ready to deal with the carnage he created and it overwhelmed him. It's an uglier thing than it seems in the movies.
I'd like to know that there are -witnesses- that saw him kill himself. So that we know he wasn't merely a third victim and the real shooter left the backpack and shotgun on him and walked away and out of the mall.
“Maybe wasn’t actually ready to deal with the carnage he created and it overwhelmed him. It’s an uglier thing than it seems in the movies.”
That’s a very good point. Reading between the lines, this may have caused several shooters to shorten the rampage. I’m thinking of the debater and his school shooting for one.