The parents of a Michigan teen who killed four students in 2021 were given a 10 to 15-year sentence on Tuesday.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Judge Cheryl Matthews stated Jennifer and James Crumbley did not step in before their 15-year-old son, Ethan, opened fire at Oxford High School, resulting in four deaths and seven injuries. The parents claimed they had no knowledge of their son's mental illness, were unaware of his plans to attack the school, and that he did not have easy access to guns.
The judge disagreed.
“Mr. Crumbley, it’s clear to this court that because of you, there was unrestricted access to guns in your home,” she said, describing Jennifer Crumbley as “indifferent” on the day of the shooting.
BREAKING: A judge has sentenced James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of the Oxford, Michigan, school shooter, to 10 to 15 years in prison in connection with attack carried out by their son. https://t.co/WQrSfxqTgF pic.twitter.com/9pXRHP0nJ7
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 9, 2024
Jennifer and James Crumbley were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the Oxford High School shooting. Ethan Crumbley had previously admitted guilt and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Jennifer and Ethan Crumbley faced criminal charges for not seeking mental health help for their son and failing to secure the gun used in the mass shooting. Additionally, James Crumbley bought the gun for his son, who used it in the shooting four days later.
“When you texted Ethan ‘Don’t do it,’ I was texting Madisyn, ‘I love you, please call mom.’”
Nicole Beausoleil, mother of Michigan shooting victim Madisyn Baldwin, gives a victim impact statement at the sentencing of James and Jennifer Crumbley.
More: https://t.co/TTh6jnIlRa pic.twitter.com/BHroT50IAm
— NewsNation (@NewsNation) April 9, 2024
School officials met with Ethan Crumbley’s parents the morning of the shooting due to concerns about a threatening drawing he had produced in class. Despite this, the parents chose to keep him in school that day, and the shooting occurred hours later.
The Crumbleys were given credit for the two-and-a-half years they had already spent in jail. The Detroit Free Press reported that they plan to appeal Tuesday’s sentences.
[Feature Photo: Oakland County Sheriff’s Office via AP]