Parents of Michigan School Shooting Suspect Plead Not Guilty To Involuntary Manslaughter Charges
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The parents of Ethan Crumbley, the 15-year-old accused of killing four students and wounding seven other people at a Michigan high school earlier this week, pleaded not guilty to four involuntary manslaughter charges Saturday morning.
James and Jennifer Crumbley were hiding and detained by Detroit police early Saturday morning. Karen McDonald, a prosecutor in Michigan's Oakland County, set bond at $500,000 for each and emphasized the importance of holding those who "contributed" to the incident responsible. She explained that teachers at Oxford High School caught the suspect researching ammunition on his phone during class Monday. When school officials attempted to contact the Crumbleys, they didn't respond. McDonald said Jennifer Crumbley wrote in a text to her son, “lol, I’m not mad at you, you have to learn not to get caught.” Investigators say Crumbley emerged from a school bathroom with a gun and began "shooting students in the hallway" the following day. He's being charged as an adult with murder, terrorism and other crimes. The Crumbleys are set to return to court on Dec. 14.
The news was prominently covered across the spectrum. Many outlets noted that "charging parents is unusual in a school shooting." Some left-rated outlets highlighted the "negligent-storage laws" that have resulted in many adults avoiding criminal punishment for not properly locking up their weapons. Some right-rated outlets called the terrorism charges an "overreach" and highlighted comments from Crumbley's lawyers that accused McDonald of creating a "media circus."
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Right
Parents of Alleged Michigan School Shooter Charged with Involuntary ManslaughterOakland County, Mich., prosecutor Karen McDonald announced involuntary manslaughter charges on Friday for the parents of the high school sophomore who allegedly killed four students and wounded seven other people in a shooting at Oxford High School on Tuesday.
The suspect allegedly used a 9 mm Sig Sauer handgun bought by his father, James Crumbley, on November 26. A motive for the shooting has not yet been established.
Explaining her decision to charge the parents, McDonald said teachers noticed the suspect researching ammunition on his phone in class. School officials then contacted the...
From the Center
Michigan School-Shooting Suspect’s Parents Plead Not Guilty to Involuntary ManslaughterThe parents of a Michigan teen accused of killing four high-school classmates each pleaded not guilty to four counts of involuntary manslaughter at an arraignment Saturday morning, hours after the couple was arrested in Detroit following a manhunt.
A judge set bond for James and Jennifer Crumbley, appearing at Saturday’s hearing from separate cinderblock-lined rooms via video, at $500,000. Each count carries a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years. Criminal charges against parents or other family members following a shooting committed by a minor at a school or elsewhere are...
From the Left
Parents of Michigan school shooting suspect held on $500,000 bond each after manhuntThe parents of the teen accused in this week's deadly Michigan high school shooting pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter charges Saturday morning, hours after police said they arrested them in a Detroit warehouse following an hours-long search.
A judge in Michigan's Oakland County set bond at $500,000 each for James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of Ethan Crumbley, the teen jailed on suspicion killing four schoolmates and wounding seven other people at Oxford High School on Tuesday.
The detained couple, sitting alone in separate rooms, made their arraignment appearance by video conference with the judge, their...
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