When he bought the .38 Special, Sulejman Talovic hinted that something would happen.
"Mr. Talovic made remarks that, at least in the mind of one individual, led him to think that he may use the firearm in a crime," U.S. Attorney for Utah Brett Tolman told the Deseret Morning News. "He was not sure what crime. He sort of had an assumption that maybe it had something to do with a bank robbery."
A federal grand jury indicted four people on gun charges linked to Talovic's shooting rampage at the Trolley Square mall. Five people were killed and four others wounded. One of the men indicted worked with the 18-year-old killer at a construction job last year.
Those indicted are:
Mackenzie Glade Hunter, 19, of West Jordan, on charges of possession of a firearm by a user of controlled substances and unlawful transfer of a firearm to a juvenile.
Brenden Taylor Brown, 20, of West Jordan, on charges of unlawful transfer of a firearm to a juvenile and making false statements to authorities.
Matthew Hautala, 20, of Rock Springs, Wyo., on a charge of making a false material statement.
Westley Wayne Hill, 38, of West Valley City, on charges of unlawful transfer of a firearm and failure to make appropriate entry and maintain required records.
"If these individuals had followed federal firearm laws now in existence, Mr. Talovic would not have had these firearms to use in the tragedy that unfolded in Trolley Square on Feb. 12," Tolman said Thursday.
Hill, Hunter and Brown made appearances in federal court on Thursday, pleading not guilty. A trial was set for July 16.
Lawyers for Brown and Hunter did not return calls Thursday. Hautala is serving in the U.S. Army in South Carolina. Authorities said he will be returned to Utah to face the charges.
Talovic family reacts
Hunter and Brown are accused of selling Talovic a Smith & Wesson .38 Special Model 36 revolver at a Salt Lake City-area fast food restaurant sometime between July 16 and July 28 of 2006. Talovic was 17 at the time.
The gun was used to kill one of the first victims in the rampage, federal prosecutors revealed Thursday.
"Several casings that were recovered from the scene indicate that he fired several rounds from that firearm," assistant U.S. Attorney Carlos Esqueda said.
Talovic's father, Suljo Talovic, was told of the indictments when contacted Thursday by a Deseret Morning News reporter.
"It's good ... It's good there are charges," he said in broken English.
Suljo Talovic said he worked with Hunter for about nine months during a construction job last year.
"I no talk to him," he said. "I only see him like ... work like different job."
Federal authorities told the Deseret Morning News that Hunter also knew Sulejman Talovic and worked with him at one point.
"Very stupid, stupid guy," Suljo Talovic said of Hunter.
History of a gun
The .38 Special was reported "missing or lost" in Wyoming.
It was reported to police and entered into the National Crime Information Center's database. Where it went from there remains under investigation, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said.
Hautala is accused of lying to ATF agents about the gun being transferred from a man named Kolby Darlington to Hunter. From there, federal agents said the gun was taken to Salt Lake City. Police say Hunter then gave it to a friend, who is not named in the indictment. The friend sold the revolver to Brown.
The indictment states that when Talovic approached Hunter, he contacted Brown; the two men then arranged to sell the gun to Talovic.
The indictment alleges Hunter knew he was selling the gun to a juvenile and that it would likely be used in a crime. Brown is accused of lying to ATF agents about the gun. According to the indictment, Brown claimed he never owned a gun.
In a separate indictment, Hill is accused of selling a Maverick Arms, Model 88, 12-gauge pump action pistol grip firearm to Talovic on Nov. 13, 2006. The indictment says Talovic bought the weapon at a Sportsman's Fast Cash Pawn shop, 3930 S. Redwood Road.
The gun does not have a shoulder stock. Because of that, it is not legally classified as a shotgun or a rifle. That makes it illegal for anyone younger than 21 to own it.
The ATF said the gun was initially believed to have been purchased legally. When they learned the gun had never been manufactured with a shoulder stock, they focused on Hill and the pawn shop.
Hill is accused of keeping improper records of the gun sale, a violation of federal law.
"The bottom line is, he did not fill out — completely and fully — the forms," said Lori Dyer, the ATF's resident agent-in-charge. "We don't know what his intentions are."
Sportsman's Fast Cash Pawn remains under investigation for any other possible violations, the ATF said.
A man who answered the phone at the pawn shop Thursday said they would have no comment on the indictment.
The business is registered to Carl Kingston, an attorney and member of the Kingston polygamous family. He did not return a call seeking comment Thursday.
No motive
A motive for Talovic's killing spree remains a mystery.
"We still don't have any ideas as to why," Salt Lake City Police Assistant Chief Scott Atkinson said.
Armed with the pistol-grip shotgun, the .38-caliber hand-gun, a backpack full of ammunition and a bandolier of shotgun shells around his waist, Talovic went on a killing spree inside Trolley Square mall on Feb. 12.
After Talovic stepped out of his car on the mall's parking terrace, Salt Lake City police said he shot and killed Jeffrey Walker, 52, and wounded his 16-year-old son Alan "AJ" Walker. Outside the mall's west doors, he wounded Shawn Munns, 34.
Talovic killed Vanessa Quinn, 29, outside the Bath and Body Works store. Moving into the Cabin Fever card and novelty shop, he killed Teresa Ellis, 29; Brad Frantz, 24; and Kirsten Hinckley, 15. Hinckley's mother, Carolyn Tuft, 44, was wounded. So was Stacy Hanson, 53.
Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank said the shootings lasted about three minutes before Talovic encountered off-duty Ogden police officer Ken Hammond, who was on an early Valentine's Day date with his wife.
Hammond got into a shootout with Talovic until Salt Lake City police officers raced inside the mall and Talovic was killed.
E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com