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A28 u.s. news
Diamars 7 December 2021

Michigan parents found in building; bond set at $500K apiece

(AP) — A judge imposed a the letter said. According to
combined $1 million bond guidance counselors, Crum-
Saturday for the par- bley was calm and worked on
ents of the Michigan teen homework while staff tried
charged with killing four to reach his parents and they
students at Oxford High traveled to the school.
School, hours after police
said they were caught hid- The parents did not notify
ing in a Detroit commer- counselors that they had pur-
cial building. chased a gun for their son
recently during that meeting,
James and Jennifer Crumb- Thorne said.
ley entered not guilty pleas to
each of the four involuntary “Given the fact that the child
manslaughter counts against had no prior disciplinary in-
them during a hearing held fractions, the decision was
on Zoom. Jennifer Crumb- made he would be returned
ley sobbed and struggled to to the classroom rather
respond to the judge’s ques- than sent home to an empty
tions at times and James house,” he said.
Crumbley shook his head
when a prosecutor said their The prosecutor, McDonald,
son had full access to the gun hours before the shooting, Detroit Police Chief James E. a note on Ethan’s desk and also previously argued that
used in the killings. McDonald said Friday. White said the couple “were took a photo. It was a draw- Crumbleys’ parents should
aided in getting into the ing of a gun pointing at the have told counselors their
Judge Julie Nicholson as- Authorities had been look- building,” and that a person words, “The thoughts won’t son had access to a gun when
signed bond of $500,000 ing for the couple since Fri- who helped them may also stop. Help me,” McDonald they were called in for a
apiece to each of the parents day afternoon. Late Friday, face charges. said. meeting about his behavior.
and required GPS monitor- U.S. Marshals announced a Jennifer Crumbley texted her
ing if they pay to be released, reward of up to $10,000 each On Friday, McDonald of- There also was a drawing of son after the shooting, saying,
agreeing with prosecutors for information leading to fered the most precise ac- a bullet, she said, with words “Ethan, don’t do it,” she said
that they posed a flight risk. their arrests. count so far of the events that above it: “Blood every- on Friday.
led to the shooting at Oxford where.”
Defense attorneys for the Smith, the Crumbleys’ attor- High School, roughly 30 James Crumbley called 911
Crumbleys still argued Satur- ney, had said Friday that the miles (50 kilometers) north Between the gun and the to say that a gun was miss-
day that they never intended pair left town earlier in the of Detroit. bullet was a person who ap- ing from their home and that
to flee and had made plans to week “for their own safety” peared to have been shot Ethan might be the shooter.
meet their lawyers early that and would be returning to Ethan Crumbley, 15, twice and is bleeding. He also The gun had been kept in an
morning. Attorney Shannon Oxford to face charges. emerged from a bathroom wrote, “My life is useless” unlocked drawer in the par-
Smith accused prosecutors of with a gun, shooting students and “The world is dead,” ac- ents’ bedroom, McDonald
“cherry picking” facts to re- During Saturday’s hearing, in the hallway, investigators cording to the prosecutor. said.
lease publicly, including that Smith said they were in touch said. He’s charged as an adult
accusation that their teenage by phone and text on Friday with murder, terrorism and The school quickly had a Ethan accompanied his father
son had unrestricted access to evening and blamed pros- other crimes. meeting with Ethan and his for the gun purchase on Nov.
the handgun prosecutors say ecutors for failing to com- parents, who were told to get 26 and posted photos of the
his father purchased for him municate with her and fel- Under Michigan law, the him into counseling within firearm on social media, say-
days before the shooting. low defense attorney Mariell involuntary manslaugh- 48 hours, McDonald said. ing, “Just got my new beauty
Lehman. ter charge filed against the today,” McDonald said.
“Our clients are just as devas- parents can be pursued if The Crumbleys failed to ask
tated as everyone else,” Smith “Our clients were absolutely authorities believe some- their son about the gun or Over the long Thanksgiving
said, adding that the gun “was going to turn themselves in; one contributed to a situa- check his backpack and “re- weekend, Jennifer Crumbley
locked.” She didn’t provide it was just a matter of logis- tion where there was a high sisted the idea of their son wrote on social media that it
more detail during Saturday’s tics,” she said. chance of harm or death. leaving the school at that is a “mom and son day testing
hearing. time,” McDonald said. out his new Christmas pres-
But McDonald said on Sat- Parents in the U.S. are rarely ent,” the prosecutor said.
Oakland County Prosecu- urday that the couple took charged in school shootings Instead, the teen returned to
tor Karen McDonald’s office $4,000 out of an ATM on involving their children, even class and the shooting subse- Asked at a news conference
filed involuntary manslaugh- Friday morning in Rochester as most minors get guns from quently occurred. if the father could be charged
ter charges against the Crum- Hills, not far from the court- a parent or relative’s house, for purchasing the gun for
bleys on Friday, accusing house where they should according to experts. In a written statement re- the son, McDonald said that
them of failing to intervene have appeared that afternoon. leased Saturday, Oxford would be the decision of fed-
on the day of the tragedy de- School officials became con- Community Schools Super- eral authorities.
spite being confronted with “These are not people that we cerned about the younger intendent Tim Throne for
a drawing and chilling mes- can be assured will return to Crumbley on Monday, a day the first time detailed the McDonald was asked about
sage — “blood everywhere” court on their own,” she said. before the shooting, when school’s response to Crum- the decision to keep Crumb-
— that was found at the a teacher saw him search- bley’s behavior. At the first ley in school.
boy’s desk. They could each A Detroit business own- ing for ammunition on his meeting with a counselor and
face up to 15 years in prison, er spotted a car tied to the phone, McDonald said. a staff member, Crumbley “Of course, he shouldn’t have
according to a spokeswoman Crumbleys in his parking lot said shooting sports were a gone back to that classroom.
for McDonald’s office. late Friday, Oakland County Jennifer Crumbley was con- hobby for his family, Throne ... I believe that is a univer-
Undersheriff Michael Mc- tacted and subsequently told said. sal position. I’m not going to
The Crumbleys committed Cabe said in a statement. A her son in a text message: chastise or attack, but yeah,”
“egregious” acts, from buy- woman seen near the vehicle “Lol. I’m not mad at you. During the second meeting she said.
ing a gun on Black Friday and ran away when the business You have to learn not to get with guidance counselors,
making it available to Ethan owner called 911, McCabe caught,” according to the Crumbley claimed the draw- Asked if school officials may
Crumbley to resisting his said. The couple was later lo- prosecutor. ings were part of a video game potentially be charged, Mc-
removal from school when cated and arrested by Detroit design and said he wanted to Donald said: “The investiga-
they were summoned a few police. On Tuesday, a teacher found pursue a career in that field, tion’s ongoing.”