Parents of accused Michigan school gunman appear in court on manslaughter charges

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (CN) — The parents of Ethan Crumbley, the 15-year-old sophomore accused of killing four and injuring several others in a shooting spree at a Michigan high school, went before a state judge Tuesday for a preliminary hearing on involuntary manslaughter charges.

James and Jennifer Crumbley of Oxford, Michigan, stood shackled before Oakland County District Court Judge Julie A. Nicholson to determine when a probable cause hearing could be held.

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald said there was a “staggering amount of evidence” that needed to be examined and more time would be required for both sides to prepare.

“Approximately 300 officers responded, including representatives from at least 26 agencies, at least 11 fire departments responded,” she said, describing the response to the Nov. 30 shooting.

She added, “This case is unprecedented in Oakland County, and perhaps the state.”

McDonald said she requested a protective order placed on all evidence, including a surveillance video that reportedly depicts the shooting and the victims that were hit. She told the judge she anticipated she would be ready to proceed in February.

“These funerals [of shooting victims] have just recently concluded…we do not think it’s in their best interest, or in the interest of justice to do that during the holiday season,” the prosecutor said in regards to holding another hearing before the end of the year.

Defense attorney Mariell Lehman of Smith Lehman, appointed to represent both parents, agreed.

“We are not objecting to the adjournment, in fact we are joining in the request for the adjournment,” she said.

Nicholson granted a request by the defense for a bond hearing on Jan. 7, 2022, and scheduled the following hearing for Feb. 8.

Ethan Crumbley was in court Monday for his preliminary hearing. He has been charged as an adult with terrorism causing death, four counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of assault with intent to murder and 12 counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Oakland County District Court Judge Nancy R. Carniak allowed the statutory time limit for a probable cause hearing to be waived and set the next court date for that hearing for Jan. 7.

Attorney Deborah H. McKelvy, appointed guardian ad litem for Crumbley, expressed concerned about his current location in lockup and suggested a move to juvenile detention.

“I do have concerns that his confinement at the Oakland County Jail…I’m not sure he is fully away from the sounds of adult inmates,” she said.

Assistant prosecuting attorney Marc Keast adamantly disagreed.

“This was mass murder in a school, judge, this was planned…and the juvenile is charged with first-degree murder,” he said.

Carniak agreed with Keast and said the current location is suitable, but she said she wants to make sure Crumbley cannot hear adult inmates at the jail.

A 17-year-old student who suffered a gunshot wound to the neck in the shooting filed a $100 million federal lawsuit last week claiming Oxford school officials could have done more to prevent the tragedy. The complaint said social media posts from the Crumbley family should have caused officials to act but were not addressed seriously enough by school administrators such as Principal Steven Wolf, who is accused of dismissing the danger in an email.

“There is no threat at the HS…large assumptions were made from a few social media posts, then the assumptions evolved into exaggerated rumors,” Wolf allegedly wrote in an email to worried parents.

McDonald announced three days after the shooting that James Crumbley and Jennifer Crumbley will each face four counts of involuntary manslaughter for their role in the incident.

She said James purchased the gun at ACME Shooting Goods in Oxford on Nov. 3 and Ethan was with him. Jennifer allegedly posted about the purchase on social media the next day when they tried the firearm out.

“Mom and son day, testing out his new Christmas present,” she wrote, according to McDonald.

Days before the purchase, McDonald said another teacher reported Ethan when she caught him searching for ammo on his phone on Nov. 21.

School officials were ignored when they attempted to contact James and Jennifer, according to prosecutors, but Jennifer texted Ethan to playfully scold him.

“Lol. I’m not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught,” she allegedly wrote.

On the morning of Nov. 30, another teacher reportedly became aware of disturbing drawings made by Ethan of a gun and of bullets hitting people. McDonald said he later altered the drawings to cover up the violence.

When the parents were called into the school to discuss the situation, McDonald said they refused to take Ethan out of the school and went home after the meeting.

When news of the shooting became public, McDonald said Jennifer reached out to her son via text.

“Ethan. Don’t do it,” she wrote.

McDonald stressed that the charges against the parents were intended to send a message and that the evidence against them was so egregious she had to act.

“I think it’s criminal,” she said of their behavior.

Three students were pronounced dead the day of the shooting and a fourth victim succumbed to his injuries the next morning. Eight others were injured, including a teacher. The weapon used was a 9mm Sig Sauer SP 2022 pistol, according to Oakland County Sherriff Michael Bouchard.

Oxford, population 3,586, is in central Oakland County, about 40 miles north of Detroit.

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