(ReliableNews.org) – James and Jennifer Crumbley are the first parents in American history to be charged for a mass shooting their child carried out. Ethan Crumbley killed four students and injured seven at Oxford High School last November. His father was recently convicted for failing to prevent the shooting.
On March 14, a Michigan jury convicted 47-year-old James Crumbley on four counts of involuntary manslaughter. The jury deliberated for 10 hours across two days after listening to testimony for five days. His wife, Jennifer Crumbley, was convicted on identical charges during a February trial.
During closing arguments, prosecutor Karen McDonald said Mr. Crumbley “did nothing over and over and over again,” even though he was aware that his son was spiraling. He even bought his son the gun he used to murder his schoolmates as a Christmas present in November 2021. Four days after receiving the weapon, the teen, then 15 years old, used the weapon to open fire at his school.
Mariell Lehman, Mr. Crumbley’s attorney, claimed his client had “no idea his son was having a hard time.” However, on the morning of the shooting, one of the teen’s teachers found violent drawings including one that depicted the gun he owned, a bullet, and an injured person. Scrawled across the drawing was a message saying his life was “useless,” “blood everywhere” and, “The thoughts won’t stop — help me.”
James and Jennifer Crumbley met with teachers at the school on the day of the shooting. They refused to take him home and a short time later, he carried out the attack.
The jury foreman spoke to the Detroit Free Press in the days following the guilty verdict and said the biggest factor in his decision to convict was the failure on Mr. Crumbley’s part to store the gun safely.
“Securing the gun is the whole thing,” the foreman stated. He went on to say the defendant could have taken any number of safety precautions but did nothing and “the lack of securing the gun […] caused all this.”
Mr. Crumbley faces up to 15 years in prison. His sentencing is set for April 9, the same day as his wife’s.
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