Jennifer Crumbley, a resident of Michigan, has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in relation to her son’s tragic school shooting spree in 2021. The groundbreaking trial concluded on Tuesday with a unanimous verdict, reached after just two days of jury deliberation. This trial posed a unique legal question: can a parent be held criminally accountable for their child’s involvement in a mass shooting?
Crumbley, aged 45, faced four counts of involuntary manslaughter, one for each victim of the devastating attack at Oxford High School in November 2021. Her son, Ethan, who was charged as an adult, had previously pleaded guilty to murder, terrorism, and other offenses. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in December.
The conviction now places Jennifer Crumbley at risk of a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison per count. She is currently being held on bond awaiting sentencing.
A juror later explained that the decision was based mainly on who the last adult to hold the gun was.
“The thing that really hammered it home was that she was the last adult with the gun,”
In dealing with the novel circumstances of this case, particularly that a mother was liable for crimes committed by her son, the jury went over more than 400 pieces of evidence. These included a video of the shooting, Crumbley’s phone, and texts/photos.
Shockingly, the shooter’s parents were called to the school the same day as the killings, reports had surfaced that he had pulled a gun, but they didn’t take their son home, or alert law enforcement that he had access to a weapon.
“Do your due diligence with your child,” Craig Shilling said. “You cannot choose to take your own interest over your child, especially when it comes to mental health.”
