In a Michigan court, James Crumbley, the father of a teenager who caused a deadly school shooting near Detroit, was found guilty of manslaughter.
The prosecution said Crumbley and his wife were responsible for giving their son a gun and ignoring signs that he might become violent. His wife was already found guilty of manslaughter for the same incident.
James Crumbley, who is 47 years old, faced four charges of involuntary manslaughter, one for each victim of the 2021 Oxford High School shootings. The jury decided on Wednesday.
Both James and Jennifer Crumbley will be sentenced on April 9. Manslaughter can mean up to 15 years in jail.
Their son, Ethan, was 15 when he used a semi-automatic gun for the shooting. He admitted guilt to several charges, including four counts of first-degree murder, and got life in prison without parole in December 2022.
Both parents to receive penalties hearing (Via Hannah West/Shutterstock)
This case is rare because parents are being charged for their child’s school shooting. The prosecution said James Crumbley ignored signs that his son was upset and didn’t keep the gun safe at home.
But the defense said Crumbley couldn’t have known what his son would do. They said there’s no proof he knew what his son was writing or saying to others.
People who know about gun safety hope these trials will show how important it is to keep guns locked up. Many school shooters get their guns from their own homes. Prosecutors said James Crumbley bought the gun used in the attack just before it happened.
Even though they got drawings from Ethan that morning that worried them, the Crumbleys allegedly didn’t do enough. The prosecution said they were told Ethan needed counseling but didn’t take him out of school, which led to the tragic shooting.
