Ethan Crumbley: Michigan high school shooting suspect appeared in court with multiple charges, including terrorism
The shooting at Oxford High School on November 30 left four students dead, while seven others – six students and a teacher – were injured.
The judge declared not guilty at the request of Crumbley’s attorney during the December 1 hearing.
The murdered students have been identified as 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin; Tate Myre, 16 years old; Hana St. Juliana, 14 years old; and Justin Shilling, 17, authorities said
The prosecutor said the suspect fired ‘methodically and intentionally.
Prosecutors said surveillance cameras at the school captured most of the violence.
After that, Crumbley is said to have begun “methodically and intentionally” walking down the hallway and pointing a gun at the students and firing at the weapon, Keast said. As students began to flee, Crumbley allegedly continued down the hallway at “methodical speed” and shot inside classrooms and at students who had not escaped, Keast said.
“What was depicted on that video, to be honest, I have no words to describe how horrible it was,” he said.
This continued for another four or five minutes, and Crumbley eventually went to another bathroom, Keast said.
Dozens of frightened students called 911 during the shooting. The call center received more than 100 calls when police arrived at the school at 12:52 p.m. local time, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.
When the deputies arrived, the suspect lowered his gun and surrendered, officials said.
Teachers raise red flags before shooting
As classes returned from the long Thanksgiving break, a teacher noticed Ethan Crumbley was searching for ammunition online, according to Karen McDonald, the Oakland County prosecutor who led the case.
Late Monday, Jennifer Crumbley sent Ethan a text message that read, “LOL, I’m not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught,” McDonald said.
On Tuesday morning, the day of the shooting, another teacher found a drawing on Crumbley’s desk that essentially depicts a shooting, McDonald said. The prosecutor said it “terrified her so much that she took a picture of it on her mobile phone”.
The illustration shows a “semi-automatic handgun pointing at the words ‘thoughts won’t stop for me'” and it includes a drawing of a bullet with the words “blood everywhere” drawn. written on it, McDonald said. The words “my life is useless” and “the world is dead” are also written on the drawing.
McDonald’s said parents objected to the idea of taking their son out of school, and he was allowed to return to the classroom.
The superintendent of Oxford Community Schools, Tim Throne, said that because the suspect had no prior disciplinary action on his record, school counselors decided to allow him to return to his classroom, rather than send he arrived at what they thought was an empty house.
Parents arrested after the hunt
Crumbley’s parents are being held over $500,000 each for involuntary manslaughter.
Prosecutors allege the couple gave their son comfortable access to the gun he allegedly used in the school shooting.
During the parental placement, McDonald said, “It is clear that (Ethan Crumbley) has full access to this weapon,” and that the parents “didn’t secure (the gun) and they let him go free.” access it.”
James Crumbley shook his head as McDonald’s made both statements.
One of the parents’ attorneys, Shannon Smith, countered during the hearing that “the gun was indeed locked.”
“When the prosecution claims that this child has the right to a free gun, it is completely untrue,” Smith said. “This court will see … more is happening than this court has known.”
The Crumbleys were arrested following a manhunt that began when they failed to appear in court for their initial settlement on December 3.
Early the next morning, police said they found the couple on the first floor of a commercial building in Detroit – about 40 miles south of the Oxford area where they live – after someone alerted police late in the evening. Friday that their vehicle is nearby.
Detroit Police Chief James White said at a news conference after their arrest it appeared they were hiding in the building.
CNN’s Amir Vera, Travis Caldwell, Artemis Moshtaghian, Elizabeth Joseph and Theresa Waldrop contributed to this report.
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