A Tucson man, Josue Lopez Quintana, was sentenced last week for lying to federal agents in connection with an investigation into a mass shooting in Tucson. Quintana, age 25, was sentenced to a time-served sentence and three years of supervised release.
As a result of Quintana’s felony conviction, he will be prohibited from possessing a firearm.
According to the Department of Justice, on August 25, 2022, following a mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) initiated an investigation into the purchase of a firearm used in the shooting that resulted in the deaths of four individuals. An ATF trace of the firearm confirmed that the firearm’s lower receiver was purchased by Quintana at a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) in Tucson, Arizona, in November 2021. According to court records, Quintana filled out an ATF form at the FFL stating that he was the true purchaser of the lower receiver, and that he was not acquiring it on behalf of another person.
On August 26, 2022, federal agents interviewed Quintana about the purchase, at which point Quintana falsely stated that he purchased the lower receiver for himself and not someone else. After agents presented text messages contradicting his story, Quintana admitted he lied and that he purchased the lower receiver on behalf of the individual who later perpetrated the mass shooting. There is no evidence that Quintana knew the intent of the shooter, and Quintana quickly accepted responsibility for his actions.