United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that Loveking Kitching, 22, of Deland, has pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Kitching faces up to 15 years in federal prison on each count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 11, 2024.
Court records reveal that on May 13, 2023, Kitching was involved in a shooting while a passenger in a car near a gas station in Deland. Security camera footage from the gas station captured Kitching exiting the car and entering the convenience store while holding a loaded 9mm pistol. Law enforcement officers recovered the pistol and additional evidence indicating that Kitching had exchanged gunfire with someone outside the vehicle. Kitching was injured in the mouth and hand during the incident, and shell casings inside the vehicle suggested that he had fired the 9mm pistol from inside the car.
On December 12, 2023, law enforcement officers attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Kitching. He led officers on a chase into an industrial park, which ended at a dead end. Officers found Kitching’s cellphone and a loaded .40 caliber pistol along the chase route, with Kitching’s DNA and fingerprints on the pistol.
Kitching had been convicted of multiple felonies in 2022, making him prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Deland Police Department, and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.