A jury in Michigan has given a verdict, which some are calling groundbreaking as they convicted James Crumbley the father of Oxford high school shooter Ethan Crumbley. James has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and is now waiting to be sentenced by the judge. (Levenson, 2024)

Ethan’s mother Jennifer Crumbley was also found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and is waiting to be sentenced, with the time served being added to her credit, which will likely be the case of James Crumbley as well.

Both these trials have gained a lot of media attention as they will set a precedence for future such cases, where parents can be held responsible for the actions of their children if they are deemed severe enough as in the case of Ethan Crumbley’s parents.

As for Ethan Crumbley himself, his school shooting resulted in the death of four students with another seven injured, including a teacher. He pleaded guilty to all the charges and was sentenced to life without parole and he was only 17 years of age at the time of his sentencing.

Unlike prior cases of school shootings, this one resulted in his parents also being charged and tried and now convicted for his shooting as they failed to secure the gun that he used in his shooting. They were also the subject of a short manhunt when they did not show up for their arraignment. 

References

Levenson, D. F. (2024, March 15). Jurors found a teen school shooter’s father and mother guilty of manslaughter. Here’s what the verdicts mean for parents. Retrieved from CNN: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/15/us/james-jennifer-crumbley-verdict-parents/index.html