Both parents of Ethan Crumbley, the Michigan teen mass shooting suspect who terrorized Oxford High School on Nov. 30, 2021 are figting to avoid potential prosecution for involuntary manslaughter. James and Jennifer Crumbley are in the process of appealing to the Michigan Supreme Court after a lower court ruled they had to stand trial in the case.
They have pleaded not guilty to four counts of involuntary manslaughter, charged thrown at them because their child, then 15, used a gun they purchased for him apparently as a Christmas gift to kill four students and injure six others. The couple was deemed partially responsible for ignoring warning signs.
The younger Crumbley had mental problems that he documented in a journal found in his backpack police located in a school bathroom on the day of the shooting. Lt. Timothy WIllis testified that the plan to strike the school wa pre-meditated, mentioned on each of the 21 pages in the journal. In one entry, he directly blamed his parents fro not getting the help he needed: “I have fully, mentally lost it after years of fighting with my dark side. My parents won’t listen to me about help or a therapist.”
“I’m sorry for this mom and dad, I’m not trying to hurt you by doing this. I have to do this.”
The teen pleaded guilty to all charges.
The attorneys representing the couple argue that their child caused harm independently and they should not be held accountable for events that were not immdiately forseeable. In their appeals,the attorneys wriote "is clearly erroneous, will cause injustices, and conflicts with Michigan Court of Appeals and Supreme Court precedent."
A day after purchasing the semiautomatic hand gun her son used, Jennifer Crumbley posted that "Ethan is testing out his new Christmas present."
Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald setting out ot hold th eparents accountable is indeed unprecedented. People ha often stated that parents who give their arents acces to guns should be held responsible if they misuse them.
The parents' trial date is yet to be set.