The Parents of the Michigan School Shooter, Who Face Possible Jail Terms, Ask the Judge for Mercy
[AP] PONTIAC, Mich. In light of their involvement in an attack that resulted in the deaths of four kids in 2021, the parents of a Michigan school shooter are pleading with a judge to spare them from prison.
The groundbreaking case of Jennifer and James Crumbley, who are the first parents found guilty in a mass school shooting in the United States, is set to conclude with their appearance in court on Tuesday.
The Crumbley family was unaware that their son, Ethan Crumbley, was organizing the Oxford High School shooting. Prosecutors, however, claimed that the parents should have taken action to secure the pistol and stopped the shooting when the 15-year-old’s dark artwork was shown to them that day at school.
Involuntary manslaughter has a minimum 10-year prison sentence, according to the prosecution.
Jennifer Crumbley, according to defense lawyer Shannon Smith, “is not a threat to the community.” Jennifer Crumbley could even stay in a guest house on Smith’s property, complete with an electronic tether, she said.
In a court document, Smith stated, “Putting Mrs. Crumbley in prison does nothing to further deter others from committing like offenses.” “No one would wish for the events of November 30, 2021, to happen again.”
Smith claimed that “any parent could make” errors involving “any gross negligence.”
Shannon Smith await sentencing in Oakland County, Mich., court on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. The
Crumbleys were convicted of involuntary manslaughter for a school shooting committed by their son
in 2021. (AP Photo/Ed White)
James Crumbley’s attorney, Mariell Lehman, asserted that the roughly two and a half years that the couple had been detained following their arrest was sufficient time. His spouse has also been detained, unable to provide a $500,000 bond prior to their trial.
According to Lehman, James Crumbley “did not believe that there was reason to be concerned that his son was a threat to anyone.”
The 17-year-old Ethan Crumbley entered a guilty plea and is currently incarcerated for life.
“Tragically simple actions” by both parents, according to the prosecution, could have prevented the disaster.
Oakland County court, located 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of Detroit, held separate trials for the pair. Jurors were told of the adolescent’s drawing of a gun, a bullet, and a victim of a shooting on a math project, along with the menacing words, “The thoughts won’t stop.” Aid me. My life has no purpose. Blood all over the place.
Ethan admitted to being depressed—his grandma had passed away, and his lone friend had abruptly moved away—but he insisted that the painting simply captured his passion for making video games.
Less than fifteen minutes was all that the Crumbleys had to attend the meeting at the school. The fact that the gun looked similar to one James Crumbley, 47, had bought just four days prior—a Sig Sauer 9 mm that Ethan had referred to as his “beauty” on social media—was not mentioned.
Instead of taking him home, his parents decided to go back to work and take a list of mental health providers. Staff at the school said Ethan may remain on campus. Shawn Hopkins, a counselor, expressed his opinion that it would be safer for the youngster than letting him stay home alone.
But nobody looked inside Ethan’s backpack. Later that day, he grabbed a gun, wounding seven individuals in addition to killing four students: Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana, Justin Shilling, and Madisyn Baldwin.
Expert testimony on Ethan’s mental state was not presented during the trial. Despite the defense’s protests, the judge nevertheless let the jury to view passages from his journal.
He wrote, “My mental health issues are getting no help, and it’s driving me crazy at school.” “I need help, but I can’t get any because my parents don’t listen to me.”
When jurors questioned Jennifer Crumbley, 46, about Ethan’s reports of hallucinations months before to the shooting, she responded that he was just “messing around.”
Prosecutor Karen McDonald showed how a cable lock that was discovered in a parcel at home could have locked the rifle during the conclusion of James Crumbley’s trial.
“Ten seconds of the simplest, easiest thing,” she exclaimed.
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