Verdict sets new precedent for parental neglect
In a precedent-setting case in Michigan, Jennifer Crumbley was found
guilty of involuntary manslaughter for her role in the tragic 2021 Oxford High School shooting that left four students dead. The jury determined that she was significantly negligent for not informing the school about the family’s firearms, including the 9 mm handgun her son, Ethan Crumbley, used in the shooting. The case highlighted her failure to secure the firearm and address her son’s mental health issues. Despite her claims of no signs of mental distress in her son and believing it was her husband’s responsibility to track the gun, evidence and her admission depicted a lack of preventive measures. Ethan Crumbley, who has pleaded guilty to murder and terrorism, is serving a life sentence. This trial marks the first time parents have been charged in connection with a mass school shooting committed by their child in the U.S.
Read the full AP article here.