Mother Convicted of Manslaughter for Her Son’s Mass Shooting at Michigan High School

In a historic ruling, Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of convicted mass shooter Ethan Crumbley, has been found guilty of manslaughter for her negligence surrounding her son’s crime.

Ethan is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to murder and terrorism. On November 30, 2021, the then-15-year-old killed four students and injured six others, as well as a teacher at his school, Oxford High, in Michigan.

Ethan’s parents were later arrested and charged with manslaughter. During Crumbley’s trial, prosecutors accused her of allowing her son to have access to a firearm while ignoring his mental health issues.

According to reports, Crumbley and her husband, James, attended a meeting at Oxford High on the day of the shooting as Ethan was exhibiting worrying behaviour.

In addition to the words, “Blood everywhere, my life is useless, the world is dead, the thoughts won’t stop, help me,” the teen had also drawn a gun, a bullet, and a wounded man on his math assignment.

Despite the warning signs, Crumbley and James decided to leave Ethan at school. The mass shooting unfolded in the school hours later.

Prosecutor Karen McDonald argued that Crumbley knew that the gun from Ethan’s math assignment and the 9mm handgun he was allowed to use at home were identical and should have alerted school officials.

The prosecution further accused Crumbley of failing to notice her son’s mental issues as she prioritised her hobbies and the secret affair she was having.

After being provided with evidence, testimony from nearly two dozen witnesses, and 10 hours of deliberation, a jury comprised of six women and six men found Crumbley guilty. She is the first parent in the United States to be found guilty of manslaughter in connection with their child’s mass shooting.

James Crumbley filed a motion for his trial to be separate from his wife’s and will be tried for manslaughter in March. During his wife’s trial, she argued that he was the one who purchased a gun for their teenage son.