Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

As it happenedended

Ethan Crumbley: Sheriff says suspect was ‘looking forward’ to attack as parents appear in court

Gino Spocchia,Megan Sheets ,Stuti Mishra,Thomas Kingsley
Sunday 05 December 2021 08:26 EST
Parents of Michigan school shooting suspect plead not guilty as mother sobs in court

Ethan Crumbley’s parents pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter in connection to their son’s alleged shooting rampage at Oxford High School that led to the death of four students on Tuesday.

James and Jennifer Crumbley appeared at an arraignment in front of judge Julie Nicholson this morning after being arrested by Detroit Police around 1.30am earlier today.

The arrest came after officers found a vehicle, believed to belong to the Crumbleys late on Friday, when they were searching for the couple. The vehicle was reported by the owner of the industrial building where the couple was located.

James and Jennifer Crumbley, parents of the 15-year-old accused, had gone missing after being charged with involuntary manslaughter on Friday.

Prosecutor Karen McDonald announced the charges against James and Jennifer Crumbley on Friday, three days after their son Ethan allegedly killed four classmates and wounded seven others.

On Tuesday morning, the parents attended a meeting with Mr Crumbley and administrators after another teacher found a note on his desk with a drawing of a handgun that read: “The thoughts won’t stop, help me.”

The parents allegedly insisted Mr Crumbley return to class, and three hours later he carried out the massacre. When she heard reports of an active shooter, Jennifer Crumbley allegedly texted: “Ethan, don’t do it.”

Crowd gathers outside hospital of organ-donating victim of Michigan school shooting

A crowd of hundreds gathered outside a Michigan hospital on Friday in support of Justin Shilling, one of the victims of the Oxford High School mass shooting earlier this week, as his body was moved into surgery for organ donation.

The 17-year-old was proclaimed dead on Wednesday, a day after the fatal shooting. Four students were killed and seven others were injured after their classmate allegedly opened fire indiscriminately in the halls of the high school.

Justin’s family has decided to donate his organs to Florida-based NGO Gift of Life. His body was kept on life support in the McLaren Oakland Hospital until the organs could be harvested.

Our reporter Stuti Mishra has the full report below:

Crowd gathers outside hospital of organ-donating victim of Michigan school shooting

Justin Shilling and three other students died after a classmate allegedly opened fire indiscriminately in their high school earlier this week

Thomas Kingsley4 December 2021 09:42

ICYMI: Michigan school chief says suspect was not disciplined on morning of shooting in lengthy video statement

The superintendent of Michigan’s Oxford Community Schools has said the 15-year-old suspect in Tuesday’s mass shooting was not disciplined during a meeting in the school’s office earlier on the day of the killings.

Tim Throne released his first lengthy statement on the shooting late on Thursday, an almost 13-minute long video posted to YouTube.

“To say that I am still in shock and numb is probably an understatement. These events that have occurred will not define us,” a stoney-faced Mr Throne said.

Our reporter Shweta Sharma has the full report below:

Michigan school chief says suspect was not disciplined on morning of shooting

Sheriff says decision to let suspect return to class will be part of investigation

Thomas Kingsley4 December 2021 10:20

Thousands join vigil in Oxford for school shooting victims

Thousands of locals in the Oxford community came together to mourn the school shooting victims on Tuesday which saw four students killed and several others injured.

The community has been at a standstill since the shooting leading to dozens of school closures in the area amid one of the biggest mass shooting cases in America this year.

Thomas Kingsley4 December 2021 10:49

Pictures show police surround parents of alleged shooter before arresting them

Law enforcement surround the building where James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of suspected Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley, were arrested on December 4, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan.

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
Thomas Kingsley4 December 2021 11:19

ICYMI: Ethan Crumbley ‘had gun with him’ at parent-teacher meeting hours before massacre

The teen accused of carrying out a deadly shooting at his Michigan high school allegedly had the gun in his backpack during a meeting with administrators and his parents just three hours before the attack.

Ethan Crumbley, 15, is accused of shooting dead four classmates and wounding seven others at Oxford High School on Tuesday afternoon with a gun his father purchased four days prior.

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald on Thursday said investigators believe Mr Crumbley had the gun in his backpack when he arrived at school that morning.

Michigan school shooting: Ethan Crumbley ‘had gun with him’ at meeting before attack

Prosecutors say the handgun Crumbley allegedly used in Tuesday’s deadly shooting was in his backpack when he arrived at school that morning

Thomas Kingsley4 December 2021 13:25

Pictures show parents of alleged school shooter booked into custody

Booking images released by the Oakland County Sheriff showing James Crumbley (L) and Jennifer Crumbley (R) who the Sheriff advises are the parents of accused Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley and have been taken into custody after a daylong search and are charged with Involuntary Manslaughter in connection with the shooting days after 15-year-old student Ethan Crumbley allegedly killed four classmates before surrendering to police at Oxford, High School in Oxford, Michigan

(EPA)
Thomas Kingsley4 December 2021 13:55

James and Jennifer Crumbley plead not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter

James and Jennifer Crumbley plead not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter in connection to their son’s alleged shooting rampage at Oxford HS that led to deaths of four students.

The couple appeared at an arraignment in 52-3 District Court charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, a 15-year felony, after being arrested by Detroit Police around 1:30am today.

(EPA)
Thomas Kingsley4 December 2021 14:52

Oxford school shooting suspect Ethan Crumbley’s mother weeps as she and husband plead not guilty

The mother of Michigan high school shooting suspect Ethan Crumbley wept as she and her husband pleaded not guilty at their arraignment, hours after they were arrested following a huge overnight manhunt.

They both pleaded not guilty to all the charges via video link from Oakland County Jail - the same jail where their son has been held since his arrest on multiple murder charges.

Ms Crumbley sobbed and covered her face with her hand as she said she understood the charges and entered her plea.

Our reporter Rachel Sharp has the full story below:

Ethan Crumbley’s mother weeps as she pleads not guilty following arrest

Jennifer and James Crumbley appear at their arraignment on four charges of involuntary manslaughter in connection to Tuesday’s mass shooting which left four students dead and seven other people wounded

Thomas Kingsley4 December 2021 15:20

Court sets bond at $500,000 for each of suspect’s parents

Judge Julie Nicholson has set the bond for each of Ethan Crumbley’s parents at $500,000. She also required them to wear GPS monitors, saying they posed a flight risk.

Police said earlier today that they found James and Jennifer Crumbley “hiding in a warehouse” in Detroit.

Nathan Place4 December 2021 15:39

Crumbleys both charged with manslaughter

James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of shooting suspect Ethan Crumbley, have each been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter – one for each of the deceased victims.

Both parents have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Nathan Place4 December 2021 15:50

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in