Parents of Ethan Crumbley to face trial after son killed four in gun rampage | US News
The parents of a school shooter who killed four people in 2021 will stand trial for manslaughter after the Michigan Supreme Court denied their appeal.
In November 2021, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley opened fire in Oxford High School with a semi-automatic handgun, killing four people and injuring seven more.
His parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley are charged with making the gun available to their son and failing to provide him with mental health treatment.
Records confirmed that the handgun Ethan used was legally purchased by James four days before the shooting at a Black Friday sale. A store manager later confirmed Ethan was with his father during the purchase.
After the purchase, Ethan posted a photo of the handgun on Instagram, captioning it with: ‘Just got my new beauty today.’
Jennifer also mentioned the weapon on social media, captioning a post with: ‘Mom and son day testing out his new Christmas present.’
Ethan was reported for his behavior twice before the shooting – once on November 29, then again on November 30, just hours before he opened fire.
In the first instance, a teacher saw him searching for ammunition on his cell phone and reported him to the school office.
The school called Ethan’s parents, but they did not pick up the phone. Later that day, Jennifer texted her son: ‘LOL I’m not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught.’
The second report came after a teacher saw a drawing Ethan had made on the back of a math worksheet.
The violent illustration depicted a gun, bullets, and blood. Ethan wrote on the drawing: ‘The thoughts won’t stop. Help me.’
James and Jennifer were ordered to get their son mental health counseling within 48 hours, or the school would call Child Protective Services. They were also given the option to pull him out of classes immediately for the day.
The parents chose to let Ethan stay in school. He opened fire on his classmates the same day.
James and Jennifer were charged with involuntary manslaughter three days after the deadly shooting took place in the Detroit suburb of Oxford Township. Both parents fled their home.
They were caught and arrested by US Marshals on December 4, 2021, apparently hiding in a Detroit commercial building used as an art gallery.
Ethan, now 17, pleaded guilty to 24 charges, including first-degree murder and terrorism, in October 2022.
Crumbley was charged as an adult, and last week a judge determined that he was eligible for a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.
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The parents of a school shooter who killed four people in 2021 will stand trial for manslaughter after the Michigan Supreme Court denied their appeal.
In November 2021, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley opened fire in Oxford High School with a semi-automatic handgun, killing four people and injuring seven more.
His parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley are charged with making the gun available to their son and failing to provide him with mental health treatment.
Records confirmed that the handgun Ethan used was legally purchased by James four days before the shooting at a Black Friday sale. A store manager later confirmed Ethan was with his father during the purchase.
After the purchase, Ethan posted a photo of the handgun on Instagram, captioning it with: ‘Just got my new beauty today.’
Jennifer also mentioned the weapon on social media, captioning a post with: ‘Mom and son day testing out his new Christmas present.’
Ethan was reported for his behavior twice before the shooting – once on November 29, then again on November 30, just hours before he opened fire.
In the first instance, a teacher saw him searching for ammunition on his cell phone and reported him to the school office.
The school called Ethan’s parents, but they did not pick up the phone. Later that day, Jennifer texted her son: ‘LOL I’m not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught.’
The second report came after a teacher saw a drawing Ethan had made on the back of a math worksheet.
The violent illustration depicted a gun, bullets, and blood. Ethan wrote on the drawing: ‘The thoughts won’t stop. Help me.’
James and Jennifer were ordered to get their son mental health counseling within 48 hours, or the school would call Child Protective Services. They were also given the option to pull him out of classes immediately for the day.
The parents chose to let Ethan stay in school. He opened fire on his classmates the same day.
James and Jennifer were charged with involuntary manslaughter three days after the deadly shooting took place in the Detroit suburb of Oxford Township. Both parents fled their home.
They were caught and arrested by US Marshals on December 4, 2021, apparently hiding in a Detroit commercial building used as an art gallery.
Ethan, now 17, pleaded guilty to 24 charges, including first-degree murder and terrorism, in October 2022.
Crumbley was charged as an adult, and last week a judge determined that he was eligible for a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.
Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected]. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.
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