Mar 14, 2024 - Politics & Policy

Michigan school shooter's father found guilty of involuntary manslaughter

April Rubin

James Crumbley stands wearing a gray suit and burgundy tie with headphones covering his ears. He is wearing glasses and there is a wood wall behind him. — James Crumbley stands as the jury exits to begin their deliberations on March 13 at Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac, Michigan. Photo: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

James Crumbley, the father of the convicted Oxford High School shooter, was found guilty on Thursday of involuntary manslaughter.

Why it matters: Crumbley and the gunman's mother are the first parents in the U.S. to be held criminally responsible for a mass shooting committed by their child.

The maximum penalty for involuntary manslaughter in Michigan is 15 years in prison.

Context: Ethan Crumbley killed four students and wounded seven others in a 2021 shooting in Oakland County, Michigan.

He was sentenced to life in prison last December after pleading guilty to 24 charges, including four counts of first-degree murder and one terrorism related count.
Prosecutors said his parents made a gun available to their son and ignored his mental health needs leading up to the shooting.

His mother, Jennifer Crumbley, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in February.

Both parents were in jail for over two years while awaiting trial because they could not afford bond.
They both pleaded not guilty to four counts of involuntary manslaughter in 2021 and requested separate trials.

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