Police search for parents charged in Michigan school shooting
(Reuters) - Authorities searched for the parents of a Michigan teenager accused of murdering four fellow high school students, after they were charged with involuntary manslaughter yesterday for buying their son the weapon as a Christmas gift and ignoring warning signs as late as the day of the shooting.
A fugitive warrant was issued for James and Jennifer Crumbley, who failed to appear for a court arraignment on Friday, and the Oakland County Sheriff's Office posted a Be On the Lookout notice for them on Facebook.
"If they think they're going to get away, they're not," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told CNN.
The pursuit began three days after officials accused their 15-year-old son, Ethan, of carrying out the deadliest U.S. school shooting of 2021, the latest in a long series of mass shootings at U.S. schools.
Two lawyers for the couple, Shannon Smith and Mariell Lehman, said in a statement the Crumbleys were returning for their arraignment and, "They are not fleeing from law enforcement."
But a scheduled 4:30 p.m. (2130 GMT) video arraignment did not take place as planned.
Neither Smith nor Lehman responded to questions about whether they were in touch with the Crumbleys, if the pair planned to turn themselves in, or if the arraignment was going forward. Calls to the Oakland County Courthouse were not returned.
The U.S. Marshals Service said its fugitive apprehension team from Detroit was working with the sheriff's office on the search.
Four days before the shooting, Ethan accompanied his father to a gun shop, where James Crumbley bought a semi-automatic handgun, prosecutors said.
Later that day, Ethan posted photos of the gun on social media, writing, "Just got my new beauty today" and adding a heart emoji. His mother posted the next day that the two of them were "testing out his new Christmas present," Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said.
Michigan law prohibits those under age 18 from buying or possessing firearms, except in limited circumstances such as hunting with a license and a supervising adult.
McDonald told a news conference the charges were intended to "send a message: that gun owners have a responsibility."
Whether prosecutors could prove the parents bought the gun for their son could be crucial, one expert said.