Parents of Michigan mass shooter stand trial in first of its kind case

Jan 24, 2024

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Ian Kennedy (Video Editor)

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For the first time in U.S. history, a jury is going to decide if the parents of school shooters can be held responsible for their child’s crimes. Jennifer Crumbley is set to stand trial for her son’s school shooting back on Nov. 29, 2021.

Jennifer was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter and faces up to 15 years in prison. Ethan Crumbley, Jennifer’s son, shot and killed four students and injured seven others at Oxford High School in Michigan. Ethan was 15 years old at the time.

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Days after the shooting, Ethan’s parents were charged. While the parents aren’t accused of knowing their child was going to shoot up a school, the prosecution is arguing the parents made a gun accessible to Ethan and ignored his mental health needs.

On the day of the shooting, Ethan’s parents met with counselors to discuss graphic and violent drawings and messages, including one that said, “The thoughts won’t stop, help me.”

The parents declined to take their son home from school, and the shooting happened later that day.

“I think prosecutors are feeling pressure when these weapon-related offenses occur,” University of Michigan Criminal Procedure professor Eve Brensike Primus said about the case. “People are outraged, and they’re looking for someone to take responsibility for it.”

The Crumbleys are the first to face charges related to a mass shooting for which their child has been found guilty. However, in December of 2023, a mother in Virginia was sentenced to two years in prison for child neglect after her 6-year-old son brought a gun to school and shot his teacher.

Jury selection proceedings for Jennifer Crumbley’s trial began Tuesday, Jan. 23.

The father, James Crumbley, will face a separate trial in March.

Ethan Crumbley, now 17, was sentenced to life in prison in December 2023.

Tags: Gun safety, Mental health, Michigan, School Shooting

[KARAH RUCKER]

CAN PARENTS OF SCHOOL SHOOTERS BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR CHILD’S CRIMES?

THAT’S WHAT A JURY WILL DECIDE IN THE FIRST OF ITS KIND TRIAL IN THE U.S.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN U.S. HISTORY, A MOTHER WILL STAND TRIAL — CHARGED IN A SCHOOL SHOOTING THAT HER SON COMMITTED.

JENNIFER CRUMBLEY WAS CHARGED WITH FOUR COUNTS OF INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER AND FACES UP TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON.

HER SON – ETHAN – SHOT AND KILLED FOUR STUDENTS AND INJURED SEVEN OTHERS AT OXFORD HIGH SCHOOL IN MICHIGAN IN 2021.

ETHAN WAS 15 AT THE TIME. JUST DAYS AFTER THE SHOOTING – ETHANS PARENTS WERE CHARGED.

THE PARENTS ARE NOT ACCUSED OF KNOWING THEIR CHILD WAS GOING TO SHOOT UP A SCHOOL.

BUT RATHER THE PROSECUTION IS ARGUING THE PARENTS MADE A GUN ACCESSIBLE TO ETHAN.

AND IGNORED MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS.

ON THE DAY OF THE SCHOOL SHOOTING, ETHAN’S PARENTS SAT WITH COUNSELORS TO DISCUSS GRAPHIC AND VIOLENT DRAWINGS AND MESSAGES.

ONE READ “THE THOUGHTS WON’T STOP. HELP ME.”

THE PARENTS DECLINED TO TAKE THEIR SON HOME FROM SCHOOL.

HOURS LATER – STUDENTS DIED.

A CRIMINAL PROCEDURE PROFESSOR COMMENTED ON THE CASE.

[SOURCE: EVE BRENSIKE PRIMUS | UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN PROFESSOR]

QUOTE. “I think prosecutors are feeling pressure when these weapon-related offenses occur. People are outraged, and they’re looking for someone to take responsibility for it.”

[KARAH RUCKER]

WHILE THE CRUMBLEYS ARE THE FIRST TO BE CHARGED IN CONNECTION TO A MASS SHOOTING THEIR CHILD HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY OF –

A MOTHER IN VIRGINIA WAS SENTENCED LAST MONTH TO TWO YEARS IN PRISON FOR CHILD NEGLECT AFTER HER 6-YEAR-OLD SON BROUGHT A GUN TO SCHOOL AND SHOT HIS TEACHER.

JURY SELECTION BEGUN THIS WEEK IN JENNIFER CRUMBLEY’S TRIAL.

THE FATHER – JAMES CRUMBLEY – WILL FACE A SEPARATE TRIAL IN MARCH.

ETHAN WAS SENTENCED LAST MONTH TO LIFE IN PRISON.