The father of a Michigan school shooter, responsible for the deaths of four students, has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
During the trial, it was revealed that James Crumbley, 47, neglected his 15-year-old son Ethan’s mental health needs, even purchasing the gun used in the November 2021 attack.
Both James Crumbley and his wife, who faced the same charges and conviction, now potentially face a maximum of 15 years in prison.
This case is believed to be the first instance where the parents of a mass shooter have been held criminally accountable. Sentencing for the couple is scheduled for April 9th.
Following nearly a week-long trial, the jury deliberated for just over a day. James Crumbley was present in court on Thursday evening when the verdict was announced, showing little reaction.
Their son fatally shot fellow students Tate Myre, 16; Hana St Juliana, 14; Madisyn Baldwin, 17; and Justin Shilling, 17, using a semi-automatic handgun at Oxford High School. Additionally, seven others sustained injuries during the shooting.
Ethan is currently serving a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole.
Steve St Juliana, Hana’s father, remarked on Thursday evening that the prosecution of the Crumbleys marked “just the beginning steps” in addressing gun violence in the US.
Expressing his frustration, he stated, “Our children are dying on a daily basis in mass murders, and we do very little about this. We can put people on the Moon, we can build skyscrapers, huge monuments like the Hoover Dam, and we can’t keep our kids safe in schools.”
Attorney Ven Johnson, in a statement, emphasized that James and Jennifer Crumbley were pivotal in the deaths of the four students. “This guilty verdict… won’t bring back the lives of these four students, but it represents one more step towards holding everyone responsible under the law,” Mr. Johnson affirmed.
During her closing arguments earlier in the week to the jury consisting of six men and six women, prosecutor Karen McDonald labeled the attack as “preventable and foreseeable.” She further characterized James Crumbley’s actions as “rare and egregious.”
According to the prosecutor, James Crumbley failed to take any measures to ensure his son wasn’t a threat, even after gifting him a semi-automatic pistol just days before the shooting. Additionally, prosecutors highlighted the Crumbleys’ insufficient efforts in addressing their son’s deteriorating mental health.
On the day of the shooting, the parents abruptly ended a school meeting regarding a troubling drawing their son had created, opting to go to work instead of taking him home. Despite concerns raised by school officials, they allowed him to return to class without inspecting his backpack, which contained the firearm.
Upon learning about the shooting, Crumbley swiftly returned home from his job as a DoorDash delivery driver, searching for the weapon, as revealed in the trial.
In defense, Crumbley’s attorney, Mariell Lehman, argued that “James had no knowledge of his son’s struggles.”