The mother of Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley, Jennifer Crumbley, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter by a jury concerning the shooting deaths of four students at Oxford High School in November 2021.
Four counts of involuntary manslaughter were brought against Jennifer and her husband James Crumbley in relation to the incident that occurred on November 30, 2021.
Crumbley was found guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter, one for each of the victims: Hana St. Juliana, 14, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, Justin Shilling, 17, and Tate Myre, 16.
Crumbley’s defense team contended that she shouldn’t be held responsible for Ethan’s conduct because she was unaware that her son was plotting a school massacre.
Addressing the jury on the witness stand, Crumbley said “As a parent, you spend your whole life trying to protect your child from other dangers,” “You never would think you’d have to protect your child from harming someone else. That’s what blew my mind. That was the hardest thing I had to stomach is that my child harmed and killed other people.”
Attorney Shannon Smith for Jennifer Crumbley stated during the case’s closing arguments that it might create a risky precedent for parents who want to give their kids the best care possible.
“I do wish, more than anything, that this case could bring justice to victims of the shooting, and to the victims of the terrorism that day,” Smith said. “This is not justice. This is not how justice works. This does nothing for people who have lost everything … and it does nothing to (undo) the tragedy that unfolded on Nov. 30.”
In December, the 17-year-old gunman pleaded guilty to several offenses related to the shootings and received a life sentence without the possibility of release.
On April 9, Jennifer will receive her sentence.
Credit: Fox News, Detroit Press, USA, NBC News