The Daily Telegraph - Saturday
Father of school shooter is convicted of manslaughter
THE father of a school shooter in Michigan has been convicted on manslaughter charges for buying his son the handgun used in the attack.
James Crumbley was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter – one each for the four victims.
Jennifer Crumbley, his wife, was convicted on the same charges last month. They each face a possible minimum sentence of as much as 15 years in prison when they return to court on April 9.
In November 2021, Ethan Crumbley opened fire at Oxford High School in Detroit killing fellow students Tate Myre, 16, Hana St Juliana, 14, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Justin Shilling, 17. He is now serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
His mother and father, the first parents of a school shooter to face felony manslaughter charges in the United States for the actions of their child, were accused of ignoring warnings that the teenager had mental health struggles.
Karen McDonald, prosecuting, said in closing arguments: “James Crumbley failed his son in a tragic way. But he didn’t just fail his son. He failed to perform his legal duty to prevent these kids from being killed.” During closing arguments on Wednesday, prosecutors said James Crumbley was “grossly negligent” because he bought his son the 9mm gun just days before the fatal attack. The father is said to have ignored his son’s deteriorating mental health signs and did not take “reasonable care” to prevent such a foreseeable danger.
Karen McDonald, Oakland County Prosecuting Attorney, said: “James Crumbley is not on trial for what his son did. James Crumbley is on trial for what he did and what he didn’t do. Four children are dead because of the gross negligence of the shooter’s parents. In Michigan, a parent has a legal duty and James Crumbley did not meet that duty,” she said.
As of March 6 there have been at least 16 school shootings in the US this year, according to CNN data, with 10 resulting in injuries or deaths.