4th student dies in Michigan shooting
Gunman faces murder, terrorism charges
“It’s chilling. It’s just absolutely cold-hearted murderous.”
Michael Bouchard
Oakland County sheriff on shooting at Oakland High School
TOWNSHIP, Mich. – The 15year-old student accused of firing on his classmates at a suburban high school, killing four and injuring seven Tuesday, faced a slew of criminal counts Wednesday as authorities released more details about the events leading up to the attack.
Prosecutor Karen McDonald identified the teen as Oxford High School sophomore Ethan Crumbley, noting he would be charged as an adult on charges including first degree murder and terrorism. Later in the day, the suspect pleaded not guilty to all charges. District Court Judge Nancy Carniak denied bond.
The charges came as more information was released about the suspect: authorities say they found a video made the day before the attack where he threatened to shoot and kill students and a journal where he wrote about murdering classmates. They also noted the suspect’s “concerning behavior” at the high school, including one incident that forced his parents to come to the school less than three hours before the attack.
The suspect is accused of opening fire at the school in Oxford Township, a suburb about 35 miles north of Detroit, firing what sheriff’s deputies now believe to be 30 bullets.
Authorities say the teen used a handgun purchased by his father on Black Friday, just days before the attack. McDonald said her office was considering criminal charges against the suspect’s parents. She said responsible gun ownership was crucial to helping stop such tragedies and “those who do not do that should be – and will be – held accountable.”
McDonald went through the list of victims, including a fourth who died Wednesday: Tate Myre, 16; Hana St. Juliana, 14; Madisyn Baldwin, 17; and Justin Shilling, 17.
McDonald noted she is a parent and would “treat this case like these are my own children.”
She said there was a “mountain of digital evidence,” including videos and social media posts that show the attack was planned “well before” Tuesday.
Authorities have said the suspect came to the school with a plan.
“He came out with the intent to kill people. He was shooting people at close range, oftentimes toward the head or chest,” Sheriff Michael Bouchard said on CNN early Wednesday. “It’s chilling. It’s just absolutely cold-hearted murderous.”
Students described a chaotic scene as a voice came over the intercom to announce an active shooter. Some didn’t know whether it was a drill. Teachers rushed to lock and barricade doors and cover windows. Students were in tears and texted loved ones.
Abbey Hodder, 15, a sophomore, was in chemistry class when she thought she heard glass breaking.
“My teacher kind of ran out and was scrambling,” she said, describing how she and her classmates followed their active shooter training. “The next thing I knew I saw he was pushing tables. It’s part of school protocol to barricade, so we all knew, barricade, barricade down. And we all started pushing tables.”
Bouchard said that the suspect’s father bought the gun Friday and that the teen appeared to post images of the gun online days before the shooting.
Undersheriff Michael McCabe acknowledged there were rumors about warning signs and said that they were being investigated. At least one parent told The Associated Press that her son was not in school over fears something could happen.
“He just said that ‘Ma, I don’t feel comfortable. None of the kids that we go to school with are going today,’ ” Robin Redding, who has a son in 12th grade, told the news agency.
Authorities, appearing in court Wednesday, read aloud the arrest warrant for the suspect, detailing a video he made the night before the attack where he “talked about shooting and killing students the next day,” Sheriff ’s Office Lt. Tim Willis said.
Willis said authorities also found a journal where the suspect wrote about his “desire” to murder fellow classmates. He also noted a search of the suspect’s social media accounts, including photos of the gun he used in the attack.
The suspect had been flagged twice by school personnel for “concerning beOXFORD havior” before the attack, Bouchard said. The first happened the day before the shooting and the second just hours before the attack.
Bouchard said the suspect’s parents were brought to the school around 10 a.m. for a meeting with the student and school personnel, about three hours before the shooting.
Bouchard said the shooting started shortly before 1 p.m. Surveillance footage in the school showed the suspect leaving a bathroom with the firearm and opening fire at random in the hallways.
He said the video showed the teen never entered any classrooms. The weapon was a 9mm Sig Sauer SP 2022 pistol. Bouchard said the teen he was arrested with a total of about 18 live rounds left, including with bullets still in the chamber.
Tate Myre died in a patrol car as a deputy rushed him to a hospital, Bouchard said. Justin Shilling died Wednesday at a local hospital.
Seven people were injured, including a teacher. Bouchard said most of the remaining gunshot victims were stable but some remained in critical condition. Police had said a 14-year-old girl was placed on a ventilator after surgery and the 47-year-old teacher was discharged after being treated.
A post on the Twitter page for Oxford High School’s football team said Tate had been a varsity football player since his first year and was an honor student. “Tate was a great young man with a bright future and beloved by all. You will be missed, Tate,” the tweet read.
“He was a tremendous football player with the brightest of futures and was an even better young man off the field as he was on it,” another tweet read.