Father of Oxford School Shooter Found Guilty of Manslaughter
(Crystal A. Proxmire, March 14, 2024)
Pontiac, MI – James Crumbley has been found guilty on four counts of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of Hana St. Juliana, Justin Shilling, Madisyn Baldwin, and Tate Myre. The four students were fatally shot by Crumbley’s son Ethan on Nov. 27, 2021 at Oxford High School. In addition to the four deaths, seven other people were injured by the shooter.
Ethan’s parents had given their son the gun. They also knew about his mental health issues and failed to act.
The case is unique in that it holds a parent responsible for the actions her then 15-year-old son took after receiving the weapon. Jennifer Crumbley, James’ wife, was convicted in February and is scheduled to be sentenced April 9.
In December Ethan was sentenced to life without parole after pleading guilty to murder and terrorism.
Sheriff Michael Bouchard released a statement about the conviction, saying “As I have said at each step of these legal proceedings, my first thoughts are always with the families of the victims and the community so terribly impacted by this tragedy. You have my unwavering support. I know that these proceedings are not a re-opening of a wound, it is tearing wider a wound that has yet to heal.
“Each time my staff re-lives that terrible day in that school through their testimony, I can see the anguish in their faces. As this is the last criminal trial, I pray in the days ahead there will be less traumatic moments and more peaceful ones.
“The unconscionable actions of a troubled son and the inexplicably tragic inaction of two adults to exercise even the most basic responsible parenting for their son forever changed four families and the Oxford community. If you’re very first thought when you hear about an active shooter at your child’s school isn’t, ‘Is he OK?’ but to worry if your son is the shooter or to rush home to find out if the gun you irresponsibly left unsecure is still there, then you should’ve done something in advance.
“There were so many inflection points where they could’ve changed the course of events, including when they refused to bring their child home on the day of the shooting. “James Crumbley now stands guilty of involuntary manslaughter – joining his wife and son as convicted felons – in the deaths of four Oxford High School students. I applaud and thank the jurors for reaching a fair and just verdict in what was surely a difficult and emotionally draining experience for them. I’m also grateful for the prosecution team and my investigators who worked tirelessly on this case.”
Both parents face 15 years in prison.