Jennifer Crumbley, Mother of School Shooter, Found Guilty of Manslaughter

In a landmark decision, a jury has found Jennifer Crumbley - mother of Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley - guilty of involuntary manslaughter. 

• Historical Context: This verdict distinguishes Jennifer Crumbley as the first parent in the U.S. to be held criminally liable for a mass school shooting perpetrated by their child. Ethan Crumbley killed four students at his high school in 2021.

  • Ethan has already been sentenced to life imprisonment without parole after pleading guilty to terrorism causing death, four counts of murder, and other charges related to the shooting.

• Legal Precedent: This case represents a novel legal strategy, marking the first instance where a parent has been directly held responsible for a mass shooting conducted by their child. Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald highlighted the case's focus on "egregious facts" and "the unthinkable."
• Prosecution's Argument: The prosecution argued Crumbley was "grossly negligent" for providing her son with a firearm and not addressing his mental health adequately.

“She could have locked the ammunition. She could have locked the gun. She could have told the school they had just gifted him a gun. She could have told the school about her son being in crisis previously and asking for help.”

• Defense's Stance: The defense contended that the blame should fall on her husband for not securing the firearm, the school for not alerting her about her son's behavioral problems, and on Ethan himself for planning and executing the attack.

“No one could have expected this. Can every parent really be responsible for everything their children do?”

Trial Focus

• Visit to the Shooting Range: Surveillance footage and testimonies confirmed that Jennifer Crumbley took Ethan to a shooting range days before the shooting. A social media post from Jennifer Crumbley captioned "Mom & son day testing out his new Xmas present" further implicated her in directly contributing to Ethan's capability to use the gun.

• Ethan Crumbley's Drawings: On the day of the shooting, a teacher discovered Ethan's drawings depicting a gun, a person bleeding, and alarming phrases like "the thoughts won't stop help me," "blood everywhere," and "my life is useless." These drawings prompted immediate concern and led to a crucial meeting with school officials.

• School Meeting on Day of Shooting: Following the discovery of the drawings, Jennifer and James Crumbley were summoned to a meeting with school counselors. During this meeting, counselors recommended that Ethan be taken home for immediate mental health treatment. The Crumbleys decided against taking their son home, citing their inability to miss work, and were not forthcoming about recently purchasing a gun for Ethan or his history of hallucinatory behavior. This decision allowed Ethan to remain in school, where he later killed Hana St. Juliana, Tate Myre, Madisyn Baldwin, and Justin Shilling.

• Jennifer Crumbley, during her testimony:

“I’ve asked myself if I would have done anything differently, and I wouldn’t have."

• Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald:

“Just the smallest of things could have saved, could have helped, Hana and Tate and Madisyn and Justin. Just the smallest of things. And not only did she not do it, she doesn’t even regret it.”

• Implications of the Verdict: This case may influence future legal actions against parents or guardians for their roles in incidents of gun violence perpetrated by minors.

• Sentencing: Crumbley faces up to 15 years in prison, with her sentencing scheduled for April 9. She has remained in custody since her arrest shortly after the incident. Jennifer Crumbley's husband, James, is also facing trial on similar charges, with proceedings set to begin in early March.

-Josh Herman