Ghost gun used in Butte County school shooting came from a convicted felon in Arizona: officials

An update.

OROVILLE, Calif. — Glenn Litton, 56, used a modified gun, also known as a ghost gun, to critically injure two elementary school students in Butte County on December 4, 2024. The Glock 19 gun lacked a serial number and had parts from various firearms. With FBI assistance, investigators discovered it had a previous owner in Buckeye, Arizona.

Litton was in Phoenix in April 2024. In December, detectives found he had bought the handgun from a 77-year-old man who legally purchased it from the widow of the original owner. The 77-year-old sold the gun to Jesse Kitagawa Jr., a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms. Despite Kitagawa’s Arizona state-issued driver’s license and claim of legal gun ownership, the 77-year-old didn’t violate Arizona state law.

Kitagawa met with Litton at a Chandler motel and sold the gun for $300. Law enforcement found Litton practiced with the gun at a Phoenix shooting range. The ammunition used in the shooting matched the ammo Litton bought in Phoenix. He returned to California on April 19.

Officers arrested Kitagawa for being a felon with a firearm. He made his first court appearance on Friday and is expected to be formally charged by the Maricopa County District Attorney’s Office.