Parents are responsible for their children’s actions. Now there is a legal precedent to back this up. Jennifer Crumbley was found guilty by a jury of her peers on four counts of involuntary manslaughter in a Michigan court on February 6, 2024. Jennifer Crumbley is the mother of school shooter Ethan Crumbley who killed four of his classmates and wounded seven others on November 30, 2021.
The prosecution argued Jennifer Crumbley was responsible for multiple reasons. Her husband, James Crumbley, is being tried separately. The gun Ethan Crumbley used was purchased for him by his parents. They were called to the school the morning of the shooting because their son had created some disturbing drawings, but they refused to take him home. They did not search him to see if he had the gun on him or make sure it was properly stored.
It took the jury around 11 hours of deliberation to come to the verdict. This is the first trail of its kind in the United States. Oakland County Judge Cheryl Matthews expressed his gratitude for the jury’s service. “We all know that this was one of the hardest things you’ve ever done,” she stated.
The jury was polled after the verdict was read. Jennifer Crumbley seemed to be in disbelief. She looked down and shook her head as each juror revealed their individual decision.
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During her trial, Jennifer Crumbley said she did not see any signs of mental illness in her son. She claimed it was her husband’s job to secure the gun. She did not know anything about guns but went to the shooting range with her son in an attempt to connect with him. James Crumbley’s trail is scheduled to begin in March.
Jennifer Crumbley will be sentenced on April 9 and could face up to 60 years in prison.
