He ruthlessly killed fellow students and received a severe sentence
9:47 AM EST, December 11, 2023
In Michigan, a court has sentenced 17-year-old Ethan Crumbley to life in prison for firing upon fellow students at a school in Oxford, United States. The school shooting, which occurred two years ago, took the lives of four students and left seven wounded. His parents are also set to face prosecution.
The 30th of November, 2021, was poised to be an ordinary day at Oxford High School in Michigan, USA. However, unbeknownst to everyone, a 15-year-old student had planned a violent attack.
Ethan Crumbley entered the school armed with a semi-automatic weapon, discharging between 15 to 20 shots. He killed four students and wounded eight others, before waiting on school grounds for the police to arrive.
Crumbley was charged with terrorism resulting in death. His charges included four instances of first-degree murder and seven counts of assault with intent to commit murder. Pivotal to the case, Crumbley, despite being 15, was tried as an adult, leaving him vulnerable to a potentially severe sentence. And that's indeed what he received.
The Michigan court sentenced 17-year-old Ethan Crumbley to life imprisonment. Moreover, Ethan's parents have been implicated in the case for purchasing the gun for him as a gift and disregarding his mental health issues.
During the trial, 17-year-old Ethan pleaded guilty to the murders, and voiced a commitment to becoming a better person while in prison.
I'm really a terrible person. I've done horrific things that nobody should do. I've hurt so many people and I don't deny it. But I don't intend to remain this way - said the convict.
Will the parents face jail time?
The assailant's parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, have been charged with supplying a gun to their son and neglecting his mental health condition. They are due to face a separate trial.
Journalists in the USA have uncovered that when news broke about the school shooting, Jennifer Crumbley texted her son: "Ethan, don't do this". Simultaneously, James Crumbley dialed the emergency hotline to report a missing firearm from his home and voiced his suspicions that his son might be the shooter.
