Jury finds father of Michigan school shooter guilty of involuntary manslaughter

A Michigan jury on Thursday indicted James Crumbley, the father of school shooter Ethan Crumbley, on four counts of manslaughter in the 2021 deaths of four students at Oxford High School. convicted.

Crumbley and his wife, Jennifer Crumbley, are the first parents in the United States to face criminal charges in a school shooting.

The jury, which began deliberating Tuesday, found Mr. Crumbley guilty of one count of manslaughter for each of the four students his son killed. NBC News reported.

Prosecutor Karen McDonald told the 12-member jury in her closing statement that Crumbley ignored a “clear opportunity” to prevent her son from killing a classmate in November 2021. , urged him to convict.

In a statement after the jury’s verdict, MacDonald said the Crumbleys’ “gross negligence” led to the deaths of the four children.

“Parents have a legal duty in Michigan, but James Crumbley failed to meet that duty. His failure to act led to the deaths of Madisyn, Tate, Hannah, and Justin. “While we know it will not bring back the law, we hope this ruling serves as an example of the importance of holding those who promote gun violence accountable,” McDonald said in a statement.

In addition to the charges, Crumbley, 47, is also accused of failing to secure the gun his son used and failing to seek help for the emotional distress his son was experiencing. . According to prosecutors, the Crumbleys met with their son’s school to address the concerning drawings his son drew for his math assignments. Instead of taking their son home, his parents left the school and ran DoorDash while the shooting occurred.

When news of the shooting began to spread, Crumbley frantically called 911. The suspect said his Sig Sauer 9mm handgun, which he had purchased four days earlier, was missing and he believed his son might be the culprit. Investigators said the cable to properly lock the gun remained in its packaging at his home.

Ethan Crumbley had a chaotic home where he was often left alone while his parents drank and fought, according to previous court filings. He wrote in his diary that he needed mental health help.

A jury found Jennifer Crumbley guilty in February of four counts of manslaughter. She is scheduled to be sentenced in April, according to NBC News. In December, Ethan Crumbley, now 17, was sentenced to multiple life sentences without parole.

The Crumbleys have been in prison for more than two years since being charged because they were unable to pay $500,000 bail.