Lauren Moye, FISM NEWS
[elfsight_social_share_buttons id=”1”]
On the last day of November, a 15-year-old carried his handgun into his school. Later that day, he shot and killed four classmates in the most deadly K-12 school shooting since 2018. Now, the parents of Ethan Crumbley are facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter in a groundbreaking legal case that questions if these adults created a dangerous situation by ignoring crucial warning signs that resulted in the death of others’ children.
James and Jennifer Crumbley were charged on Friday with four counts each of involuntary manslaughter by Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald. As FISM previously reported, parents are rarely charged when a child is involved in a school shooting. Usually, the charges are for negligence and in connection to younger children.
However, Michigan has no laws requiring parents to secure firearms where children cannot access them. Lawyers in the case explained that, because of this, for the charges to stick prosecutors must demonstrate that the Crumbleys were grossly negligent or reckless in their conduct with their son as well as showing they had a duty to the victims.
“I am in no way saying that an active shooter situation should always result in a criminal prosecution against parents, but the facts of this case are so egregious,” McDonald said.
The Crumbley parents were arrested early on Saturday morning in a commercial building after a brief manhunt involving Oakland County’s fugitive-apprehension team, FBI agents, and U.S. marshals. Their attorneys, Shannon Smith and Mariel Lehman, claim the Crumbleys were not intentionally evading authorities.
Andrzej Sikora, 65, whose office space the Crumbleys were found hiding in, is said to be cooperating with police, and is claiming he did not knowingly abet them. Furthermore, officers are reportedly still considering bringing charges against school authorities as they had the authority to search Ethan Crumbley’s locker and belongings, but failed to do so.
When asked about the possibility of additional charges in the case McDonald said, “We haven’t ruled out charging anyone.”
James purchased the 9-millimeter Sig Sauer on Nov. 26 as an early Christmas gift for Ethan. The following Monday, an Oxford Highschool teacher caught Ethan shopping online for ammunition. This was reported to his parents.
Jennifer reportedly texted her son in response to this, “LOL, I’m not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught.”
The next day, hours before the shooting, the parents were informed that Ethan had been found with drawings depicting a handgun, a bullet, and a bleeding figure along with disturbing messages like, “The thoughts won’t stop – help me.”
Ethan claimed the drawings were for a video game. His parents were told to place him in counseling within 48 hours. However, the school superintendent Tim Throne said the Crumbleys did not want to take Ethan home for the day. Hours later, the school shooting occurred.
“I’m angry as a mother, I’m angry as a prosecutor, I’m angry as a person that lives in this county, I’m angry,” the county prosecutor said. “There were a lot of things that could have been so simple to prevent.”
However, the legal case against the Crumbleys isn’t so straightforward. Throne wrote in his letter to the school district that, “At no time did counselors believe the student might harm others based on his behavior, responses, and demeanor, which appeared calm.”
As a teenager, Ethan “can form his own criminal intent” that breaks “the chain of causation” between his parents and the shooting, according to George Mason University law professor Robert Leider.
They pleaded not guilty to charges at their arraignment. Bail was set at $500,000 each.