Father of Michigan school shooter convicted of manslaughter for buying son handgun

When James Crumbley heard about the shooting, he rushed home to look for the weapon he gave Ethan Crumbley, jury hears

The father of a school shooter in Michigan has been convicted on manslaughter charges for buying his son a handgun that he used in a school shooting.
James Crumbley was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter – one each for the four victims.
Jennifer Crumbley, his wife, was convicted on the same charges last month. They each face a possible minimum sentence of as much as 15 years in prison when they return to court on April 9.
In November 2021, Ethan Crumbley opened fire at Oxford High School in Detroit killing fellow students Tate Myre, 16, Hana St Juliana, 14, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Justin Shilling, 17. He is now serving a life sentence without parole.
His mother and father, the first parents of a school shooter to face felony manslaughter charges in the United States for the actions of their child, were accused of ignoring warnings that the teenager had mental health struggles.
Karen McDonald, prosecuting, said in closing arguments: “James Crumbley failed his son in a tragic way. But he didn’t just fail his son. He failed to perform his legal duty to prevent these kids from being killed.”
During closing arguments on Wednesday, prosecutors said James Crumbley was “grossly negligent” because he bought his son the 9mm gun just days before the fatal attack.
The father is said to have ignored his son’s deteriorating mental health signs and did not take “reasonable care” to prevent such a foreseeable danger.
Karen McDonald, Oakland County Prosecuting Attorney said: “James Crumbley is not on trial for what his son did. James Crumbley is on trial for what he did and what he didn’t do.”
On the morning of the shooting, Ethan Crumbley’s parents cut short a meeting at the school about a disturbing drawing their son had produced. They refused to take their son home and rushed back to work.
School officials then sent Ethan back to class without checking his backpack, which contained the gun.
When James Crumbley heard about the shooting, he rushed home from his job as a DoorDash delivery driver to look for the weapon he gave his son, the jury heard during the trial.
Following the verdict, parents of those that were killed in the school shooting were seen hugging the lead prosecutor.
Steve St Julian, the father of Hana St Julian, said that the prosecution of the Crumbleys was “just the beginning steps” when it came to tackling gun violence in the US.
In a statement after the verdict was announced, Ms McDonald said that James Crumbley’s failure to act led to the deaths of the four students.
“Four children are dead because of the gross negligence of the shooter’s parents. In Michigan, a parent has a legal duty and James Crumbley did not meet that duty,” she said.
He added: “These parents [the Crumbleys] could have prevented this tragedy with just the smallest of efforts.”
As of March 6 there have been at least 16 school shootings in the US this year, according to CNN data, with 10 resulting in injuries or deaths. In comparison, 2023 saw a total of 38 school shootings.
Since 2008, only five US states have not had any school shootings: Montana, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island.