James Crumbley, the father of Michigan school mass shooter Ethan Crumbley, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter Thursday for his negligent role in the shooting.
The father, whose wife was found guilty of the same charges last month, was convicted on four counts of involuntary manslaughter and could face up to 15 years in prison. He is expected to be sentenced on April 9 alongside his wife, Jennifer Crumbley.
James Crumbley had purchased the SIG Sauer 9 mm gun his son used in the November 2021 shooting at Oxford High School, which resulted in the deaths of four students, injured six students, and one teacher. Prosecutors claimed that James Crumbley was negligent when he purchased the gun, which occurred days before the attack, and also failed to secure the gun safely.
Prosecutors also claimed the father did not adequately respond to his son’s deteriorating mental health. The Crumbleys had met with school officials on the day of the shooting and had been urged to take him home before the shooting took place.
“James Crumbley is not on trial for what his son did,” Oakland County Prosecuting Attorney Karen McDonald said, according to CNN. “James Crumbley is on trial for what he did and what he didn’t do.”
Defense Attorney Mariell Lehman argued that prosecutors lacked evidence and their argument was based on “assumptions and hindsight.” James Crumbley’s sister, Karen Crumbley, had testified in court that she spent time with the family in April and June 2021 and did not see anything concerning.
“You heard no testimony and you saw no evidence that James had any knowledge that his son was a danger to anyone,” Lehman said.
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The case marks the first time parents have been convicted in the actual killings that their children caused. Parents have previously been convicted of negligence or firearm charges but never manslaughter or murder.
Ethan Crumbley has pleaded guilty to the murders of the four students, along with 19 other charges. He has been sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole. He was 15 at the time of the shooting.
