PONTIAC, Mich. — The father of a Michigan school shooter was convicted of involuntary manslaughter on Thursday, marking the second conviction for the teenager’s parents, who were accused of failing to properly secure a firearm at home and neglecting to address clear signs of their son's mental distress.
The jury's decision means James Crumbley is now implicated alongside Jennifer Crumbley in the deaths of four students at Oxford High School in 2021, even though he did not physically pull the trigger.
They were tried separately as the first parents in the United States to face charges in a mass school shooting carried out by their child. Jennifer Crumbley was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in February.
During the father's trial, prosecutors focused on two main points: the parents’ reaction to a disturbing drawing on Ethan Crumbley’s math assignment shortly before the shooting, and the teenager's access to a Sig Sauer 9mm handgun that James Crumbley had purchased just four days prior.
Ethan drew a disturbing picture of a firearm and a wounded individual on a math assignment, along with troubling phrases like “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me. My life is useless.”
Despite concerns raised by a counselor about suicidal thoughts, James and Jennifer Crumbley chose not to take Ethan home after a brief meeting at the school, and the staff did not insist. The counselor advised them to seek assistance for the boy within 48 hours.
Ethan had confided in Shawn Hopkins that he was upset about the deaths of his dog and grandmother and the loss of a friend who had suddenly moved away. He explained that the drawing was simply related to a video game and that he had no intention of committing any violent acts.
Neither Ethan nor his parents informed school officials about the newly purchased firearm, as per testimonies during the trial.
Hopkins had hoped that Ethan would spend the day with his parents. When that was not possible, the counselor believed that it would probably be safer for the teen to be around others at school.
Later that same day, Ethan retrieved the Sig Sauer from his backpack and started shooting, resulting in the deaths of Justin Shilling, 17; Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Hana St. Juliana, 14; and Tate Myre, 16. The bag was not checked, although a school administrator had joked about its weight.
“James Crumbley is not being tried for his son's actions,” prosecutor Karen McDonald told the jury. “James Crumbley is on trial for his own actions and for what he failed to do.”
She stated, “He cannot escape accountability just because someone else” actually pulled the trigger.
Hopkins informed the jury that James Crumbley displayed empathy toward his son during the discussion about the drawing but did not take any further action.
Upon learning about the shooting, James Crumbley hurried home from his DoorDash job and searched for the gun.
In a frantic 911 call, he stated, “I believe my son took the gun.”
Investigators discovered an empty gun case and an empty ammunition box on the parents’ bed. A lock cable for the gun was still in its package, unopened.
When Ethan pleaded guilty to murder and terrorism, he told a judge that the gun was not secured when he placed it in his backpack before going to school.
Defense attorney Mariell Lehman stressed that James Crumbley did not consent to his son accessing the gun.
She said to the jurors that the father didn't realize he had to protect others from his son. It wasn't obvious to him that his son would commit these offenses. He had no clue about his son's plans.
No experts testified about Ethan's mental health, and no records were presented. The boy's lawyers had previously stated that he would remain silent if asked to testify.
However, the judge permitted the jury to read parts of the teenager's handwritten journal.
Ethan wrote, "I have zero help for my mental problems and it's causing me to shoot up the … school. I want help but my parents don't listen to me so I can't get any help."