Jennifer Crumbley, aged 46, and her husband James, aged 47, have been sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison in an extraordinary and closely monitored case. They are the first parents of a school shooter to be convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the United States for their child’s actions.
Judge Cheryl Matthews of the Oakland County Circuit Court has handed down a sentence of 10 to 15 years in prison to both James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of the teenager responsible for the tragic Oxford High School shooting in Michigan.
The judge took into account the 28 months the Crumbleys had already spent behind bars, granting them credit for that time served.
Ethan Crumbley, now 17 years old, is currently serving a life sentence for the November 30, 2021. This tragic incident resulted in the loss of four students’ lives and left seven other people injured. The school is located approximately 45 miles (70 kilometers) north of Detroit
“Parents are not expected to be psychic,” Matthews said at an emotional sentencing hearing in Pontiac, Michigan, attended by parents of the victims.
“But these convictions are not about poor parenting,” Matthews said. “These convictions confirm repeated acts, or lack of acts, that could have halted an oncoming runaway train.”
Craig Shilling, the father of Justin Shilling, a 17-year-old student who tragically lost his life in the shooting, directly addressed the court before the sentencing. He looked at the Crumbleys and uttered these haunting words: “The blood of our children is on your hands.”
Steve St. Juliana, the father of another victim, Hana St. Juliana, who was 14, said her murder “has destroyed a large portion of my soul.”
“I am forever denied the chance to hold her or her future children in my arms,” he said.
In separate court proceedings, the Crumbleys faced accusations of disregarding warnings regarding their son’s mental health struggles. During her trial, Jennifer Crumbley testified that her husband had purchased a 9mm SIG Sauer handgun for their son just days before the attack, presenting it as an early Christmas gift.
The day following the purchase, she accompanied the boy to a shooting range. On the very day of the shooting incident, the Crumbleys were called to the school. A teacher had discovered a disturbing drawing on Ethan’s desk, prompting concern.
The parents were shown the drawing and advised to seek counseling for their son. Despite this, they reportedly resisted taking him home, and he eventually returned to class.
Subsequently, he entered a bathroom, revealing a concealed gun from his backpack and discharging over 30 shots. The United States has witnessed a distressing surge in fatal firearms incidents involving young individuals.
Consequently, there is growing pressure to hold parents accountable when their children gain access to weapons. In a similar case, the father of an Illinois man accused of killing seven people in July 2022 pleaded guilty in November to misdemeanor charges of “reckless conduct” for assisting his son in acquiring the assault rifle used in the mass shooting.
A Virginia woman was given a two-year prison sentence for neglecting her child, who shot and seriously injured his teacher. Subsequently, she served an additional 21 months in prison after admitting to unlawfully acquiring the firearm.
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