On November 30, 2021, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley entered his Michigan high school with a handgun and shot a total of eleven people. Four of the ten students who were shot sadly passed away, while the rest, including one teacher, thankfully survived the injuries. One year after their son was sentenced to life in prison without parole, Ethan’s parents are now facing trials of their own to see if they may have had a part in the event.
Before the shooting occurred, some say there were visible changes in Ethan Crumbley’s behavior. It is said that his mental health was at an all-time low and he was acting very unusual. Even after noticing this, his parents never took any action to try and seek help for Ethan. James Crumbley, Ethan’s dad, also bought Ethan a handgun only days before the shooting unfolded. In addition to this, James also didn’t take the proper precautions to secure the weapon in his house. This lack of attention to both the gun and his son is what led to him and his wife both being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
Police searched the home following the shooting and found Ethan’s journal, the case that the handgun was previously in, and two other firearms. While the case was hidden away from plain sight, there was still no effort to lock the case and prevent someone from easily accessing it. Not only that, but the code to unlock a separate gun safe in the home was “0-0-0”. In texts to his friends, it was clear that Ethan was not well mentally. He sometimes spoke of hearing voices speak to him and even asked his father to take him to the doctor, to which his father replied no and told him to “Suck it up.” All the signs were there, but James and Jennifer Crumbley never attempted to give their son the help that he needed and asked for.
Many still question why these two were charged with involuntary manslaughter instead of crimes dealing with the firearm itself. There have been previous instances in which parents of shooters were charged with lesser crimes, such as neglect of their child or, as said before, crimes dealing with the weapon. This is the first time, though, that parents are being charged with a crime such as involuntary manslaughter. While it is clear that Ethan Crumbley’s parents did neglect their child and are at fault for some part of the shooting, this trial is hopefully a wake-up call for other parents to pay more attention to their child so that events like these can be completely avoided altogether.
