Parents of Michigan School Shooting Suspect Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter

As the Oxford High School shooting continues to unfold, prosecutors have brought charges against the parents of the 15-year-old suspect, Ethan Crumbley, in a move that is being hailed as a rare instance of holding parents accountable for their child's actions. Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald has announced that James and Jennifer Crumbley face four counts of involuntary manslaughter, citing their alleged negligence and failure to properly store a gun that their son used to kill four classmates and injure several others.

Key Takeaways:

• The Crumbley parents were aware of their son's disturbing behavior and concerns from teachers, but failed to take action, including hiding the gun in an unlocked drawer in their bedroom.
• The parents expressed "unconscionable" and "egregious" behavior, according to McDonald, including boasting about the new gun on social media and resisting the idea of their son leaving the school after being informed of his concerning behavior.
• The gun, purchased by James Crumbley on November 26, was stored in an unlocked drawer in the parents' bedroom, and the parents did not take adequate steps to ensure it was safe.
• The parents' actions were not isolated, as neighbors, relatives, and former employers have declined to discuss the family or have not responded to requests for comment.
• The charges filed against the Crumbleys come as school shootings are on the rise, and prosecutors are seeking new tools to hold parents of school shooters accountable.
• The four known prosecutions of parents of juvenile shooters did not stem from charges related to negligent-storage laws, and the harshest penalty among those cases was a sentence of over two years in prison for a man charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Statistics:

• 4 counts of involuntary manslaughter against James and Jennifer Crumbley.
• 1 count of terrorism causing death against Ethan Crumbley.
• 24 charges against Ethan Crumbley, including 1 count of terrorism causing death, 4 counts of first-degree murder, 7 counts of assault with intent to commit murder, and 12 counts of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
• The gun shop owner is not under investigation, as the elder Crumbley purchased the gun legally in Michigan.
• 30 states have passed some form of a child-access protection law, but researchers say these laws are often not enforced, and the penalties are weak.

Sources:

• The Washington Post
• Karen McDonald, Oakland County prosecutor
• James and Jennifer Crumbley, parents of Ethan Crumbley
• David Chipman, former ATF agent
• David Rourke, director of training for QBS
• Ronn Nozoe, executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals
• Daniel Webster, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Prevention and Policy