Police identify 4 victims of fatal private jet crash tied to top ‘anti-ICE’ law firm

Police have identified four of the passengers on board a private jet that crashed shortly after takeoff on the evening of January 25 from Maine’s Bangor International Airport.

The Bombardier Challenger 600 belonged to KTKJ Challenger LLC, which is registered to the Arnold & Itkin law firm in Houston, Texas. The firm is led by Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin, two “top anti-ICE/anti-Trump lawyers” who have “made waves fighting conservatives in Texas and defending illegal aliens,” according to Steve Robinson, the editor in chief of the Maine Wire.

‘He is in Heaven now with Jesus.’

The plane flipped over and caught fire moments after taking off from the airport. The incident occurred as a winter storm rolled through the region, causing heavy snowfall, though it is unclear whether this contributed to the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation is ongoing.

The initial Federal Aviation Administration crash data claimed that at least seven passengers had died and one flight crew member was seriously injured. However, an updated FAA report stated there were six passengers, all of whom were killed.

KTRK-TV reported that the plane took off from Hobby Airport in Houston on the afternoon of January 25, landed safely in Maine, and was set to reach its final destination in France.

A press release from the Bangor Police Department obtained by Blaze News revealed that the Maine Office of Chief Medical Examiner had positively identified four victims, including Kurt Arnold’s wife, Tara, an attorney herself. Police also identified Jacob Hosmer, a 47-year-old pilot from Texas; Jorden Reidel, a 33-year-old pilot from Texas; and Shelby Kuyawa, a 34-year-old sommelier from Hawaii.

The OCME is still working to identify the final two victims, the police department stated.

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Photo by Kiran RIDLEY / AFP via Getty Images

“I’m close friends with Kurt and Tara Arnold, and we’re still waiting for additional information,” Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones previously told KTRK. “Unfortunately, the plane went down [that] evening in Maine, and my heart hurts for them, for their children, and for their families.”

“She was a phenomenal person, a bold leader, and someone with a heart of service,” Briones added.

A member of Hosmer’s family told KTRK, “He is in Heaven now with Jesus.”

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Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The Associated Press reported that family or others identified the two remaining victims as Shawna Collins, a 53-year-old event planner from Texas, and Nick Mastrascusa, a 43-year-old chef from Hawaii.

Lakewood Church in Houston, which is run by Joel Osteen Ministries, confirmed that Collins, a longtime employee, was one of the victims.

“Everybody loved her. She just had that kind of personality,” Donald Iloff Jr., a church spokesperson, told the AP.

Mastrascusa’s family told the news outlet, “Nick loved life. He embraced it with joy, humor, compassion, and soul. He believed in connection — in gathering people together, in shared meals, stories, laughter, and simply being there for one another.”

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