Jennifer Crumbley was found guilty Tuesday on four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection to her son’s mass shooting at a high school in Michigan in 2021. The first-of-its-kind case tests the limits of who can be held responsible for a school shooting.
On November 30, 2021, Ethan Crumbley open fired at Oxford High School, killing four students and wounding six students and teachers, for which he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Jennifer’s four guilty verdicts correspond to the four students who were slain.
Prosecutors argued Crumbley bore responsibility in her son’s mass shooting because of she was “grossly negligent” for giving him a gun, in addition to ignoring mental health warning signs. The defense argued that the blame should be placed on Ethan himself for planning and executing the attack, on her husband for not locking up the firearm, and on the school for not discussing her son’s behavioral issues with her. Her husband, James Crumbley, is scheduled to face trial for the same charges in early March.
Jennifer faces up to 15 years in prison. Her sentencing has been set for April 9.
