In a riveting courtroom drama, prosecutors contended on Thursday that Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of the Michigan school shooter, bears partial responsibility for the tragic deaths of four students. The argument unfolded with the assertion that the devastating event could have been easily averted had she taken decisive action when confronted with her son’s disturbing drawings just hours before the incident.
The Associated Press reports, Assistant prosecutor Marc Keast emphasized that Jennifer Crumbley was well aware of her son’s deteriorating mental health and had recognized a gun depicted in a math assignment as resembling the one Ethan Crumbley had used at a shooting range.
Despite being summoned to a meeting and informed about the alarming drawings, instead of taking immediate action and bringing Ethan home, Jennifer and her husband James Crumbley allowed him to remain at Oxford High School. Tragically, he went on to take the lives of four students and injure several others just hours later.
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“Even though she didn’t pull the trigger, she’s responsible for those deaths,” declared Keast during his compelling opening statement.
Jennifer Crumbley, aged 45, now faces charges of involuntary manslaughter stemming from the November 30, 2021, attack. This case is unprecedented, marking the first instance of a parent being charged in connection with a mass shooting at a U.S. school. Prosecutors argue that the Crumbleys were grossly negligent, and their son’s actions were foreseeable.
Keast highlighted two crucial aspects: the accessibility of a gun at the Crumbley residence and the school meeting held on the fateful day. The teacher at the meeting was alarmed by the teen’s drawings, featuring the ominous phrase, “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me.”
“The two people with all of the information, all of the background to put this drawing into context, were James and Jennifer Crumbley,” emphasized Keast. “They didn’t share any of it.”
In her defense, attorney Shannon Smith told jurors that the evidence of the shooting would be distressing. However, she argued that Jennifer Crumbley was manipulated by her son and should not be held accountable.
Describing Jennifer as a “hypervigilant mother who cared more about her son than anything in the world,” Smith stated, “Band-Aids don’t stop bullet holes. That’s what this case is all about — the prosecutor attempting to put a Band-Aid on problems that can’t be fixed with a Band-Aid.”
Tensions escalated in the courtroom after jurors viewed a brief video captured by a school security camera on the day of the shooting. Prosecutor Karen McDonald claimed that Jennifer Crumbley and Smith were “sobbing,” a violation of the judge’s request to control emotions during the trial.
“We were not sobbing or making a scene,” retorted Smith, her voice rising. “All my eye makeup is still on.”
Ethan Crumbley, aged 17, had been sentenced to life in prison in December after pleading guilty to murder, terrorism, and other charges. At the time of the shooting, he was 15.
The teen’s parents have spent more than two years in jail awaiting trial, unable to afford a $500,000 bond. In Michigan, involuntary manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. The trial continues, promising further revelations and emotional testimony.
