Jennifer Crumbley, mother of the perpetrator of the worst school shooting in Michigan history, faces trial in an unusual case that seeks to hold her parents accountable for their alleged role in the 2021 incident.
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James and Jennifer Crumbley are being charged with manslaughter, with prosecutors alleging they made a gun available to their son, Ethan Crumbley, and ignored his alleged mental health issues. The gunman, then 15, killed four students and injured seven others at Oxford High School outside Detroit on November 30, 2021. Ethan received multiple life sentences without parole in December after plead guilty to all charges.
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The Crumbleys are the first parents to be charged in connection with a mass school shooting in the United States, as reported by the Associated Press. Recently, the mother of a 6-year-old who shot and injured a teacher was sentenced to two years in prison for child neglect, according to the AP. Prosecutors argue that the Crumbleys’ parents ignored their son’s warning signs; however, defense attorneys maintain that the shooting was not foreseeable and that the parents should not be held responsible. Four days before the tragic event, James Crumbley bought his son a gun while his mother took him to a shooting range, sharing a light-hearted message about the activity on Instagram.
Prosecutors also highlight warning signs that were allegedly ignored. The day before the shooting, the school informed Jennifer Crumbley that her son was viewing ammunition on his phone. Just hours before the incident, parents were summoned to school after their son drew violent images with the message: “Thoughts won’t stop. Help me.” Despite instructions to enroll their son in counseling, the parents refused to take him home that day, leaving after just 30 minutes. At sentencing in December, Ethan Crumbley took full responsibility and expressed remorse for his actions. He called himself a “very bad person” and stated that he could not help himself. Furthermore, he defended his parents’ innocence, stating that they had no knowledge of his plans before the shooting. The parents were charged shortly after the shooting and have been detained for more than two years without the possibility of posting bail. James Crumbley’s trial is scheduled to take place in March.