In a rare move, prosecutors also filed involuntary manslaughter charges against the shooter’s parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, alleging they had “contributed” to the shooting, starting with the purchase of a SIG Sauer 9mm for their son just days before.
Crumbley admitted in court on Monday that he gave his father money to buy the handgun for him, and he picked out which firearm he wanted. He also admitted that the gun was not locked in a container or safe when he obtained it the morning of the shooting.
According to McDonald, the county prosecutor, his parents had ignored multiple attempts from teachers and school staff to reach them with concerns about Ethan Crumbley’s behavior. On the morning of the shooting, they were called to the school by staff alarmed at a note on his desk that had drawings of a handgun and a bleeding person, as well as the words “thoughts won’t stop help me” and “blood everywhere.”
They were asked to take him home with them after the meeting, but they “resisted the idea” and left school grounds without him, McDonald said.
“These charges are intended to hold the individuals who contributed to this tragedy accountable, and also send the message that gun owners have a responsibility,” she said at the time. “They failed to uphold that responsibility.”
Nearly a year after the shooting, the Oxford community, and especially the students, have struggled to recover.
Several victims’ families are suing the shooter’s parents and the school district, accusing teachers and administrators of failing to keep the students safe “at virtually every turn.”
Their attorney, Ven Johnson, said in a statement to BuzzFeed News that the guilty plea is “one small step forward on a long path towards obtaining full justice” for the families.
“We will continue to fight until the truth is revealed about what went wrong leading up to this tragedy, and who, including Crumbley’s parents and multiple Oxford Community Schools employees, could have and should have prevented it,” he said.
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/clarissajanlim/oxford-michigan-high-school-shooter-guilty-plea-terrorism
