Facing likely prison sentences, Michigan school shooter's parents seek mercy from judge
apnews.com
A groundbreaking case in Michigan is nearing a close as the parents of a Michigan school shooter face sentencing Tuesday in suburban Detroit.

NOTE: article updated.

A judge sentenced the parents of a Michigan school shooter to at least 10 years in prison Tuesday for failing to take steps that could have prevented a “runaway train” — the killing of four students in 2021.

Jennifer and James Crumbley are the first parents convicted in a U.S. mass school shooting. They were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter after prosecutors presented evidence of an unsecured gun at home and indifference toward the teen’s mental health.

Ethan Crumbley drew dark images of a gun, a bullet and a wounded man on a math assignment, accompanied by despondent phrases. Staff at Oxford High School did not demand that he go home but were surprised when the Crumbleys didn’t volunteer it during a brief meeting.

Later that day, on Nov. 30, 2021, the 15-year-old pulled a handgun from his backpack and began shooting. Ethan, now 17, is serving a life sentence for murder and other crimes.

  • Copernican@lemmy.world
    114·
    5 months ago

    Then how do you charge the kid as an adult? If you treat the kid as a child it makes sense to me to look at the parents for negligence. But if you think the kid is legally responsible to be tried as an adult, how do the prosecutors also go after the parents?

    • audalics@lemmy.world
      321·
      5 months ago

      Multiple adults are tried and convicted for different roles in the same crimes all the time.

      • Copernican@lemmy.world
        121·
        5 months ago

        Yeah, but it’s weird when you 2 adults are tried for basically parental negligence of a minor, but that minor was tried as an adult. So if the minor is being tried as an adult, how can the parents be tried for not taking care of their minor? If the kid was tried as a kid this would make more sense to me.

        • monsterlynn@kbin.social
          81·
          5 months ago

          Personally I think he’s too young to be tried as an adult and it’s obvious that his negligent parents both ignored his cries for help AND encouraged him to use weapons that the law prohibits minors from owning.

          But on the other hand, they weren’t the ones that shot up the school, and he does pose a threat to society. If anything this case illustrates how messed up and convoluted the juvenile justice system is.

          • Copernican@lemmy.world
            14·
            5 months ago

            I think these are the types of cases that make liberal leaning folks take a really ironic position. We talk about ending the prison industrial complex, focusing on rehabilitation, etc… But school shooting that in some way is predicated on right wing 2nd amendement rights, let’s lock up as many people as we can for as long as we can, and screw juvenile courts for juveniles while we’re at it.

            • jkrtn@lemmy.ml
              3·
              5 months ago

              Why, what is the liberal option for dealing with a mass murderer in the system that we currently have?

        • zaph@sh.itjust.works
          22·
          5 months ago

          Personally I’m not a big fan of children being tried as adults in general but that’s not really relevant I just don’t want it to seem like I’m defending that. Being tried as an adult doesn’t mean “this child has the mental capacity of an adult and should be treated as such,” it’s about the crimes he committed. If he was emancipated I could see your argument being a defense for the parents but he wasn’t.