The parents of a Michigan school shooter were each sentenced to at least 10 years in prison on Tuesday, April 9 for failing to take steps that could have prevented the killing of four students in 2021.
Jennifer and James Crumbley are the first parents convicted in a US mass school shooting. They were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter after prosecutors presented evidence of an unsecured gun at home and indifference toward the teen’s mental health. Judge Cheryl Matthews sentenced them to 10 to 15 years in prison each with credit for the 28 months they have already spent behind bars.
Ethan Crumbley drew dark images of a gun, a bullet and a wounded man on a math assignment, accompanied by despondent phrases. Staff at Oxford High School did not demand that he go home but were surprised when the Crumbleys didn’t volunteer it during a brief meeting. Later that day, on November 30, 2021, the 15-year-old pulled a handgun from his backpack and began shooting at the school. Ethan, now 17, is serving a life sentence for murder and other crimes.
Before sentencing, family members of the students killed in the shooting asked a judge to sentence the parents to 10 years, condemning them as failures whose selfishness led to four deaths and a community tragedy. "The blood of our children is on your hands, too," said Craig Shilling, wearing a hoodie with the image of son Justin Shilling on his chest.
Prosecutors said "tragically simple actions" by both parents could have stopped the catastrophe. The couple had separate trials in Oakland County court, 40 miles north of Detroit.
At the close of James Crumbley's trial, the prosecutor demonstrated how a cable lock, found in a package at home, could have secured the gun. "Ten seconds," McDonald said, "of the easiest, simplest thing."