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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.
Yes, anyone saying this sets a bad precedent for parents being charged for crimes committed by their children aren’t familiar with the case.
The parents willfully ignored glaring red flags. Their son regularly told them he heard voices telling him to kill. He would draw pictures of himself killing people. What did they do with that info? They bought him a gun. It’s not unlike an employer ignoring gigantic safety issues and then getting in legal trouble when people finally die.
Except these parents actually got the punishment they deserved.
We do need to fix the current problem with a lack of corporate accountability.