A Michigan jury convicts the father of a teenager’s fatal shooting of four classmates, claiming responsibility due to gun ownership and disregard for violence warnings.
IN SHORT
James Crumbley Convicted of Manslaughter in Michigan School Shooting
- The son, Ethan, killed four students and injured seven others.
- Prosecutors claim Crumbley purchased the handgun used in the attack four days before the shootings.
- James Crumbley, 47, was convicted of manslaughter for his son’s mental health neglect, which led to the November 2021 shooting.
- The case marks the first time parents have been charged with manslaughter over their child’s role in a US school shooting.
- The Crumbleys’ wife, Jennifer, is due to be sentenced next month.
- The verdict marks a moment of accountability, as the parents could have prevented the tragedy with minimal effort.
- Defense attorney Mariell Lehman argued that Crumbley could not have foreseen his son’s actions.
- The case also highlights the responsibility of parents and gun owners to prevent children from accessing deadly weapons.
- Both Crumbleys are scheduled to be sentenced on April 9; a count of manslaughter carries a penalty of up to 15 years.
A jury in Michigan found James Crumbley to be guilty. He is the father of a teenager who died in 2021 at Oxford High School due to the actions of four of her classmates. There were four counts of involuntary killing against Crumbley, one for each of the people who died. James and Jennifer Crumbley will both be given their sentences on April 9. For manslaughter, the maximum sentence is 15 years in jail.
The Crumbleys were the first parents in the U.S. to be charged with manslaughter in a school shooting involving a kid. The U.S. has a lot of gun violence. Lawyer Karen McDonald said that Crumbley kept ignoring signs that his son was seriously troubled, didn’t get him the help he needed, and didn’t do enough to keep the gun in the family home safely.
Mariell Lehman, the defense lawyer, said that James Crumbley could not have known that his son would carry out a mass killing. She said that James didn’t know his son was having a tough time.
Professionals who study gun safety hope that the Crumbley trials will make parents more aware of the need to keep guns safer in their own homes. Authorities say that James Crumbley bought the handgun that was used in the attack four days before the shootings on November 30, 2021. A teacher found drawings by Ethan Crumbley the morning of the killings. The drawings showed a gun, a bullet, and a person who was bleeding, along with the words “Blood everywhere,” “My life is useless,” and “The thoughts won’t stop—help me.”
The Crumbleys were called to the school that morning, but they didn’t want to take their son home, so they didn’t check his backpack or ask him about the gun. During their cases, both Crumbleys disputed these claims. They said that the teachers agreed that Ethan could stay in school that day and never thought he was a threat to other students.