10-4-2024 (WASHIGNTON) The parents of a teenager responsible for a fatal school shooting in Michigan received a landmark sentence of 10 to 15 years in prison on April 9, marking a significant development in a closely monitored case.
Jennifer Crumbley, 46, and her husband James, 47, became the first parents of a school shooter in the United States to be convicted of involuntary manslaughter for their child’s actions.
During an emotionally charged sentencing hearing in Pontiac, Michigan, attended by grieving parents of the victims, Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Cheryl Matthews handed down sentences of 10 and 15 years for Jennifer and James Crumbley, respectively. The sentences included credit for the 28 months the couple had already spent in custody.
Their son Ethan, now 17, is serving a life sentence for the shooting rampage on November 30, 2021, at Oxford High School, which resulted in the deaths of four students and injuries to seven others, located 45 miles (70 kilometers) north of Detroit.
Judge Matthews remarked, “Parents are not expected to be psychic,” but stressed that the convictions were not merely about parental oversight but rather about repeated acts or lack thereof that could have prevented the tragedy.
Prior to the sentencing, Craig Shilling, father of Justin Shilling, one of the victims, directly addressed the Crumbleys, asserting, “The blood of our children is on your hands.” Steve St. Juliana, father of Hana St. Juliana, another victim, expressed the profound loss caused by his daughter’s murder, stating, “Her murder has destroyed a large portion of my soul.”
The Crumbleys were accused during separate trials of disregarding signs of their son’s mental health struggles. Jennifer Crumbley testified that her husband purchased the handgun used in the attack just days before the incident as an early Christmas gift for their son. Despite being alerted by a teacher to concerning behavior and a violent drawing found on Ethan’s desk on the day of the shooting, the parents allegedly resisted efforts to address their son’s issues.
