Michigan prosecutor charges parents of school shooting suspect — says they brushed off disturbing warnings

Michigan prosecutor charges parents of school shooting suspect — says they brushed off disturbing warnings
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In Michigan, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley is facing criminal charges and being tried as an adult in connection with a high school shooting that left four people dead and others seriously injured. And, as the Detroit Free Press reported, prosecutors are seeking charges against his parents as well.

According to Free Press reporters Elisha Anderson and Gina Kaufman, “Online records for 52-3 District Court in Rochester Hills show four counts of involuntary manslaughter are being sought against both James and Jennifer Crumbley. Authorities have said their son, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, brought a gun to school on Tuesday and methodically fired at fleeing students. Four were killed and seven others injured in the rampage.”

In a press conference, Karen McDonald, a prosecutor in Oakland County, alleged a series of incidents and warning signs suggesting that Ethan Crumbley posed a serious danger before the shooting. His parents were made aware by school officials of his behavior, which she said included drawing violent images and searching for ammunition on his phone.

McDonald said that Jennifer Crumbley responded to the ammunition search incident by telling Ethan not to get caught. And she alleged that James Crumbley purchased the gun used in the shooting with Ethan present, and then left the gun in the house without locking it up. The parents were reportedly told that because of Ethan's behavior, he should be put in counseling immediately, but they refused, McDonald said.

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Ethan Crumbley is facing more serious charges than his parents, including multiple counts of first-degree murder, terrorism and assault with intent to commit murder.

According to Anderson and Kaufman, “Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard (in Michigan) previously said Crumbley's father had purchased the 9mm Sig Sauer SP 2022 gun used in the shooting just days earlier. He has also said Crumbley and his parents met with school administrators the day before and day of the shooting to talk about the teen's behavior.”

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