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Published on January 15, 2025
Arizona Man Cuffed for Peddling Ghost Gun to Notorious Butte County School ShooterSource: Butte County Sheriff's Office

Authorities have apprehended an Arizona man accused of illegally selling a ghost gun that was utilized in a school shooting last month in Butte County. As reported by ABC10, Jesse Kitagawa Jr., 45, of Phoenix, was arrested and charged with the sale of an unlawful firearm to Glenn Litton, who subsequently opened fire at Feather River Adventist School in Oroville. It was promptly discovered that the two kindergarteners were critically wounded before Litton ended his own life.

The transaction between Kitagawa and Litton, who are both convicted felons prohibited from possessing firearms, allegedly occurred on April 10, 2024 at a motel southeast of Phoenix. Kitagawa sold the ghost gun, which lacked a serial number and had parts from different firearms, for $300. According to authorities, Litton practiced with the gun at a gun range in Phoenix and purchased ammunition before returning to California on April 19 by Greyhound bus—actions that now seem to have been deliberately planned. KCRA cited Butte County Sheriff's Office, which confirmed Litton's use of a Glock 19, typically identifiable by its serial number and standardized parts.

Further investigations, with assistance from the FBI, tracked the ghost gun's origins to Arizona. Kitagawa had acquired the firearm from a 77-year-old man who had legally bought it from the widow of the original owner. This individual sold the weapon to Kitagawa, albeit without contravening Arizona state law, since Kitagawa possessed an Arizona state-issued driver's license and assured he could lawfully own firearms. "It appears that (the man) did not violate Arizona state law when he sold the firearm to Kitagawa, because Kitagawa has a driver's license issued by the state of Arizona and assured Lyons that he could lawfully possess firearms," the Butte County Sheriff’s Office conveyed in a news release, which was documented by ABC10.

Following his arrest, Kitagawa faced a preliminary court hearing last Friday. Probable cause was identified by a judge, and a bond was issued. Kitagawa is now set to soon be arraigned with charges expected to be filed by the Maricopa County District Attorney's Office. The questionable chain of custody for the weapon now concludes with litigation, as the justice system intervenes to address the exploitation of legal loopholes and the improper use of firearms.