Michigan school shooter's father found guilty of manslaughter
The parent of a gunman responsible for the deaths of four students in a Michigan school has been found guilty of manslaughter.
8:11 AM EDT, March 15, 2024
During the trial, it was revealed that James Crumbley, aged 47, neglected the mental health issues of his 15-year-old son and purchased the handgun his son utilized in the November 2021 shooting.
After more than two years since Ethan Crumbley, then 15, used a SIG Sauer 9mm to kill four students and injure six others along with a teacher at Oxford High School, the jury concluded its deliberations on Thursday.
Next month, Jennifer Crumbley, his wife is scheduled to receive her sentence after being found guilty of the same charges.
Prosecutors in closing arguments Wednesday said James Crumbley was "grossly negligent" because he bought the SIG Sauer 9mm gun for his son days before the attack, failed to properly secure it, ignored his son’s deteriorating mental health, and did not take "reasonable care" to prevent foreseeable danger, reports CNN.
""James Crumbley is not on trial for what his son did," Oakland County Prosecuting Attorney Karen McDonald said. "James Crumbley is on trial for what he did and what he didn’t do.""
According to CNN, in response, defense attorney Mariell Lehman asserted the prosecution’s case lacked evidence and was based on "assumptions and hindsight."
"You heard no testimony and you saw no evidence that James had any knowledge that his son was a danger to anyone," she said.
James Crumbley is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Source: CNN, BBC