Parents of Michigan school shooting suspect plead not guilty to manslaughter charges

(Reuters) - A Michigan judge set bail at $500,000 each for the parents of a teenager accused of murdering four fellow high school students, after authorities arrested the couple yesterday following a high-profile manhunt.

Appearing by videolink from jail for their arraignment, James and Jennifer Crumbley both pleaded not guilty to four counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald told the hearing the Crumbleys withdrew $4,000 from an ATM while authorities were searching for them and remained a flight risk.

“These are not people that we can be assured will return to court on their own,” she said.

Authorities began searching for the couple after Oakland County prosecutors said on Friday that they would be charged with manslaughter in connection with the campus mass shooting. Prosecutors said the Crumbleys bought the handgun for their son as a Christmas present and then ignored warning signs including on the day of the shooting.

The Michigan school shooting is only the latest such incident in the United States, where elected officials have sparred over how to make schools safer for children as attacks have grown increasingly common in recent decades.

Judge Julie Nicholson said yesterday that she had “some concern about the flight risk” posed by the couple after they did not appear for the Friday arraignment.