Nov 15, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Prosecutors seeking life sentence for Michigan school shooter

Herb Scribner

Ethan Crumbley is led away from the courtroom after a placement hearing at Oakland County Circuit Court on February 22, 2022 in Pontiac, Michigan. — Ethan Crumbley is led away from the courtroom in February. Photo: David Guralnick-Pool/Getty Images

Prosecutors said they'd seek a life sentence for Ethan Crumbley, the 16-year-old who pleaded guilty to killing four fellow students in a Michigan school shooting in November 2021.

The big picture: First-degree murder brings an automatic life sentence. But lawyers for teenagers can raise mental health concerns in order to get shorter sentences in some cases, per AP.

Driving the news: In a court filing Monday, prosecutors said they'd seek a life sentence without chance of parole for Crumbley, who withdrew a possible insanity defense and acknowledged the shooting from 2021, AP reports.

Crumbley, who was charged as an adult, pleaded guilty to 24 charges last month, including four counts of first-degree murder, one count of terrorism, seven counts of assault with intent to murder, among other charges, per Axios.

What they're saying: "A sentence of imprisonment for life without the possibility of parole is appropriate in this case," Oakland County assistant prosecutor Marc Keast said, AP reports.

Attorney Ven Johnson, who represents some of the families in the civil lawsuit against Crumbly, said his guilty plea "is one small step forward on a long path towards obtaining full justice for our clients."
"We will continue to fight until the truth is revealed about what went wrong leading up to this tragedy," Johnson said last month.

What's next: The sentencing will begin in February.

Go deeper: Teen pleads guilty to 24 charges in Michigan school shooting

Add Axios on Google

Prosecutors seeking life sentence for Michigan school shooter

What to read next