

This means that a prosecutor is not burdened with proving that Ethan’s parents acted with a person-endangering state of mind with the intent to kill or inflict serious bodily injury. Notably, involuntary manslaughter does not require a showing of malice. The Michigan Supreme Court defined the crime as “every unintentional killing of a human being” that “is neither murder nor voluntary manslaughter nor within the scope of some recognized justification or excuse.” Thus, involuntary manslaughter is more easily characterized in terms of what it is not. Involuntary Manslaughter is a “catch-all” crime that is not characterized as voluntary. Then, Ethan’s parents were indicted on involuntary manslaughter charges, marking the first time in American history that the parents of a school shooter have been charged as responsible for the actions of their child. Prosecutors charged Ethan Crumbley with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of terrorism causing death. At 1:22 pm, Jennifer Crumbley texted her son, “Ethan don’t do it.” At 1:37 pm, James Crumbley called 911 to report a missing gun and to inform the operator that he believed his son was the school’s active shooter. School cameras then show him exiting the men’s bathroom and opening fire on fellow students. His parents refused to take him out of school, though, so he returned to class.Īt 12:51 pm, Ethan Crumbley entered the school’s restroom and pulled from his bookbag the very present he had received from his parents: a semiautomatic 9-millimeter Sig Sauer handgun.

School officials met with Ethan’s parents that day and instructed them to provide counseling for their son within 48 hours. He had illustrated a handgun pointed at the words “thoughts won’t stop help me” and bullets with the words “blood everywhere.” Ethan’s drawing also included words like “my life is useless” and “the world is dead.” Most jarring was an illustration of a person who appeared to have been shot twice with a laughing emoji next to it. The very next morning, on November 30, 2021, another teacher found a disturbing drawing on Ethan’s desk. You have to learn not to get caught.” Later that night, Ethan recorded two videos of himself talking about killing and shooting students at the high school.

While Ethan’s parents did not respond to the school’s attempts to contact them, Jennifer did tell her son over text, “LOL I’m not mad at you. The school contacted Ethan’s parents by phone and email, but they did not respond. However, one of Ethan’s teachers noticed him searching the web for ammunition, so she notified school officials. On November 29, 2021, the first day back to school after Thanksgiving break, classes resumed as normal at Michigan’s Oxford High School. SIG SAUER 9mm (with a heart eyes emoji).” That same weekend, Jennifer Crumbley, Ethan’s mother, posted to social media that she and Ethan had a “mom and son day testing out his new Christmas present.” Later that day, Ethan posted a photo of the gun to his Instagram account with the caption, “Just got my new beauty today. On November 26, 2021, James Crumbley, Ethan’s father, bought the handgun his son used in the school shooting. Ethan’s parents currently face four charges of involuntary manslaughter, but to fully understand the magnitude of these charges, we need to go back to the days leading up to the shooting. For the first time in America, the parents of a school shooter are being criminally charged for the actions of their child. While the violence of school shootings is sadly all too familiar for many Americans, the consequences of Ethan’s violence reach farther than any other school shooting. Tragically, Ethan killed four of his classmates that day. On November 30, 2021, just like any other day, fifteen-year-old Ethan Crumbley walked the halls of his Michigan high school however, this day was different because instead of carrying his typical school supplies, Ethan toted a semiautomatic 9-millimeter Sig Sauer handgun. The dark history of school shootings is embedded in the reality of American education, but change could be on the horizon. They will practice grammar and spelling, and inevitably, they will learn to lock the door, turn off the lights, and stay quiet when the intruder alarm sounds.
#Parents of michigan shooter charged how to#
They will learn how to add, divide, and multiply. In the United States of America, all children have the right to an education.
