(LibertyInsider.org) – A Michigan jury has convicted the father of Ethan Crumbley, the young man who fatally shot four of his classmates at Oxford High School, of involuntary manslaughter. According to court records, James Crumbley allegedly ignored mounting signs of his son’s growing mental instability and failed to properly secure a semi-automatic pistol.
The history of this case dates back to November 30, 2021, when Ethan, then just 15, took his father’s firearm to school and opened fire on his fellow students. In the investigation that followed, authorities uncovered evidence that the young man had been displaying clear signs of being disturbed and of harboring violent intentions for some time prior.
Exhibits presented in court included a series of alarming text messages between Ethan and his parents, as well as the fact that he brought a bird’s head in a jar to school. One of his teachers also reportedly discovered drawings he created showcasing violent scenes, firearms, bullets, and strange messages like “blood everywhere” and “my life is useless.”
James Crumbley convicted of manslaughter charges in son Ethan Crumbley’s shooting rampage https://t.co/u14CTGirum pic.twitter.com/jmDH3SspLb
— New York Post (@nypost) March 14, 2024
On the morning of November 30, a staff member reached out to James Crumbley and his wife, Jennifer Crumbley, to report the strange sketches and warn that Ethan needed help. The facility also asked them to come get their son. For reasons that remain unclear, they refused.
Ethan, who was already at school at that time, had hidden a gun in his backpack before leaving home. He shot and killed four of his fellow students later that day.
A Michigan court sentenced Ethan to life in prison without the possibility of parole in December 2023. But prosecutors immediately took issue with the fact James and Jennifer Crumbley had allegedly ignored the many warning signs of his declining mental condition. They filed involuntary manslaughter charges against both parents in the days after the shooting.
Defense attorneys for both James and Jennifer Crumbley argued that Ethan’s parents were completely unaware of his troubles, and thus, could not have predicted his actions. Yet, the evidence presented in court appeared to directly counter these claims.
Jennifer Crumbley was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in early February, setting the stage for the more recent guilty verdict against James Crumbley. They each face a prospective sentence of up to 15 years in jail.
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