James Crumbley’s manslaughter trial is underway. James is the father of Ethan Crumbley, the 15-year-old who opened fire on his classmates, killing four and wounding six.
On Wednesday, prosecutors said he was responsible for his son’s mass shooting because of his gross negligence. However, his legal team said the prosecution’s case lacked evidence.
Crumbley was the one who bought the SIG Sauer 9mm gun his son used in the shooting. He failed to secure it properly, ignored his son’s spiraling mental health, and did not take “reasonable care” to prevent foreseeable danger.
“James Crumbley is not on trial for what his son did,” Oakland County Prosecuting Attorney Karen McDonald said. “James Crumbley is on trial for what he did and what he didn’t do.”
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In response, defense attorney Mariell Lehman said the prosecution’s case was based on “assumptions and hindsight.” She asserted that Crumbley simply didn’t know about his son’s issues or plans.
After closings, the jury met for about an hour on Wednesday before ending for the day. The trial comes more than two years after Ethan Crumbley’s mass shooting at Oxford High School on November 30, 2021.
James Crumbley pleads not guilty to four counts of involuntary manslaughter and faces up to 15 years in prison upon conviction. The cases against the parents test the limits of who is responsible for a mass shooting. Prosecutors aiming to expand the scope of blame in mass shootings are trying to use an unusual legal strategy by arguing the shooter’s parents are responsible for the deaths.
After all, they got him the gun and overlooked signs of his mental health decline. Earlier Wednesday, the prosecution rested its case after calling 15 witnesses over the past week.
One of the witnesses they called was James Crumbley’s sister, Karen. She testified that she spent time with the family in April and June 2021 and did not notice anything concerning. The defense then rested its case.
With the jury out of the room, James Crumbley refused to testify, saying, “It is my decision to remain silent.”
The case against James Crumbley has been similar to the one against his wife. However, there have been some key differences. In James’ case, prosecutors are emphasizing his decision to purchase a firearm for his son as a gift days before the shooting.
They also focused on how he stored the weapon, featuring less evidence about his personal life. Basically, how secure the murder weapon was and how the shooter gained access to it has been a key point of contention.
According to James Crumbley, he hid the gun case in an armoire and the 9mm ammunition under a pair of jeans. The SIG Sauer came with a cable lock, but according to a detective, that cable lock was still in its plastic packaging.
“Did James ever once tell you that the SIG Sauer 9mm used to commit the Oxford high school shooting was ever locked up?” Oakland County Assistant Prosecutor Marc Keast asked. “He did not,” said Adam Stoyek, a detective with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
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The defense has questioned whether a different locking mechanism may have been used to secure the firearm. James’ wife testified that he secured the firearm with a cable lock whose key he hid in a beer stein.
In addition, two other firearms in the home were locked in a gun safe in the parents’ bedroom dresser. However, Stoyek said the combination to unlock the safe was still “0-0-0,” the default factory setting.
Aside from the unsecured guns, prosecutors have also argued James Crumbley missed clear warning signs that his son needed help.
“I have zero HELP for my mental problems, and it’s causing me to SHOOT UP THE F—ING SCHOOL,” the shooter’s journal reads. “I want help, but my parents don’t listen to me, so I can’t get any help.”
Lehman, the defense attorney, says there is no evidence the shooter actually asked for help and his father refused to help. She said, “James had no idea that his son was having a hard time.”
Further, on the morning of the shooting, both parents visited the school to discuss Ethan’s disturbing writings. He used phrases like “help me,” “blood everywhere,” and “my life is useless.” There were also drawings of a gun and a bullet.
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Oxford High School counselor Shawn Hopkins recommended they take Ethan out of school to get mental health treatment that day. But Jennifer Crumbley said they couldn’t do so that day because they had work.
They all agreed to keep Ethan in class for the day. About two hours later, the teenager took the gun out of his backpack and started shooting. Immediately he heard of the shooting, James Crumbley rushed home to look for the gun. Then he called 911 to report the gun was missing and noted his son had been in a meeting earlier that day.
The prosecutor said the call hints at “foreseeability.” However, Lehman disagreed. According to her, “James Crumbley had no idea what his son was capable of, he had no idea what his son was planning, and he had absolutely no idea that his son had access to those firearms.”
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