The wanted parents of the boy who opened fire with a gun at a school in the US state of Michigan were caught.
Detroit police officials announced that mother Jennifer Crumbley and father James Crumbley were arrested today.
The parents of 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, who killed 4 people and injured 7 others with a gun at Oxford High School in Oxford, Michigan, are accused of manslaughter.
The Crumbley couple, who were accused of being ineffective in the face of their son’s allegedly observed armed violence, disappeared on Friday without appearing in court. The couple’s lawyer, Shannon Smith, claimed that their client had left their neighborhood earlier this week to ensure their own safety.
Karen McDonald, the chief prosecutor for Oakland County, Michigan, where the incident took place, argued that the Crumbley couple ignored many of the signs observed in their son Ethan. McDonald, a 15-year-old boy’s drawing on a piece of paper, featuring a gun and a bleeding individual, with the words “Blood everywhere! I can’t stop my thoughts, help me!” He cited his statements as an example of the child’s tendency to violence.
Other prosecutors handling the case also said that a teacher had previously reported Ethan Crumbley on his phone, searching for ammunition on the Internet, and briefed school officials about the situation.
According to the information provided by McDonald, James and Jennifer Crumbley, school officials called the Crumbley couple a few hours before the shooting and demanded that they come to the school and take their son Ethan home with him. However, the Crumbleys refused to comply with the authorities’ call.
High school student Ethan Crumbley will be charged with more than 40 different crimes, including first-degree manslaughter and terrorism. Ethan Crumbley, who allegedly used a gun his father bought last week, will be tried as an adult.
Gun attacks at schools in the United States have been on the rise, especially in recent years. However, cases where parents are blamed for attacks by minors are very rare.