A Michigan jury has delivered a guilty verdict against James Crumbley, the father of Ethan Crumbley, the teenager responsible for the tragic shooting at Oxford High School near Detroit. James Crumbley, 47, was found guilty of manslaughter on Thursday, following his wife Jennifer Crumbley’s conviction on similar charges in February. The couple faced separate trials, marking the first instance in the United States where parents have been charged in connection with a mass school shooting committed by their child.
Ethan Crumbley, who was 15 years old at the time of the attack, used a semi-automatic handgun to fatally shoot four classmates and injure several others. He pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and other charges in 2022, receiving a life sentence without parole in December.
Prosecutor Karen McDonald argued that James Crumbley bore responsibility for the tragedy, as he and his wife provided their son with a firearm and ignored warning signs of his violent tendencies. McDonald highlighted James Crumbley’s repeated failure to address his son’s disturbing behavior, neglecting to seek appropriate help and secure the firearm safely in their home.
During the trial, McDonald presented evidence including texts and journal entries written by Ethan, in which he expressed a desire for medical attention and mentioned hearing voices. However, he also expressed concern that his parents would be upset if he sought help. McDonald revealed that Ethan had asked his father to take him to the doctor, but instead of addressing the issue, James Crumbley allegedly provided him with pills and told him to “suck it up.”
Defense lawyer Mariell Lehman argued that James Crumbley could not have predicted his son’s actions and emphasized that there was no evidence to suggest he was aware of the contents of Ethan’s texts or journal.
The verdict, delivered after a full day of deliberations, carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison for James Crumbley. Both parents are scheduled to be sentenced on April 9.
Gun safety experts hope that the Crumbley trials will serve as a wake-up call for parents to secure firearms in their homes more effectively. Government research indicates that approximately 75 percent of school shooters obtain the weapons used in their attacks from their own residences.
The tragic events at Oxford High School underscore the persistent issue of gun violence in the United States, with numerous school shootings occurring over the years, often perpetrated by current or former students. Prosecutors argued that the Crumbleys’ case presented an exceptionally egregious and rare set of circumstances.
