The American flag flies at a height of half a foot on December 2, 2021, outside Oxford High School in Oxford, Mich.
Jake May / The Flint Journal via AP, File
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Jake May / The Flint Journal via AP, File
The American flag flies at a height of half a foot on December 2, 2021, outside Oxford High School in Oxford, Mich.
Jake May / The Flint Journal via AP, File
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – A teenager accused of killing four students at a Michigan high school will pursue a crazy defense, his attorney said in a notice filed Thursday as he, Parents and school officials face a new lawsuit over the assault at Oxford High School.
The notice, which is listed in a summary of the case file, will lead to a mental health examination of 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, who has been charged with murder and other charges for the shooting, which resulted Six other students and a teacher were injured. . Experts will look into whether the teen understood his misconduct on the day of the shooting.
The lawsuit, meanwhile, has been announced on behalf of the parents of Tate Myre, who was killed on November 30, and other students who witnessed the shooting. It alleges the negligence of school officials and Crumbley’s Parents through attacks.
William Myre, wife of Sheri, parent to Tate Myre, appears at a news conference in Southfield, Mich., on Thursday.
Paul Sancya / AP
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Paul Sancya / AP
William Myre, wife of Sheri, parent to Tate Myre, appears at a news conference in Southfield, Mich., on Thursday.
Paul Sancya / AP
“We are saddened and heartbroken – our lives are forever changed,” William Myre said at a news conference. “Our family will never be the same. We’re not doing well. All we do is walk around the house and think about Tate. We think about him every day. We sit in our room. him. We listen to his playlists on Spotify. We’re not doing well, but we’ll find a way through it together.”
A new lawsuit names school officials, the suspect and his parents for the assault
The lawsuit, which demands at least $25,000, names the principal of the Oxford High School of students, two counselors and three teachers as defendants. Crumbley and his parents are also referred to as defendants.
The Associated Press sent out an email Thursday morning seeking comments from the school district.
The suspect’s parents are accused of intentional, reckless and negligent conduct that led to the mass shooting. Teachers and staff at Oxford High School have been charged with negligence leading to the shooting by not removing the shooter from the school earlier.
The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Oakland County Court on behalf of Tate Myre’s parents, William and Sheri. Also named as plaintiffs are Chad and Meghan Gregory, whose son, Keegan, was hiding in a school bathroom with Justin Shilling when Shilling was shot dead.
The lawsuit was also filed on behalf of Lauren Aliano, whose daughters, Sophia Kempen and Grace Kempen, were hiding in their classrooms during the shooting.
Ethan Crumbley is being held in the Oakland County Jail.
The notice filed by his attorneys on Thursday will lead to examinations by the state’s Center for Forensic Psychiatry and withheld specialists and the prosecutor’s office. Judge Kwame Rowe may also order another expert to check.
“This is entirely appropriate,” said Margaret Raben, a Detroit area defense attorney who was not involved in the case. The forensic center is stuck, stuck, stuck for work.”
A judge will decide if a crazy defense can proceed
Once the report is in place, the judge will decide whether a frantic defense can be instituted, Raben said.
Under Michigan law, if someone is not guilty by reason of insanity, they are not free. They must be transferred to a state psychiatric center for custody and further evaluation.
Someone convicted of a crime but with a mental illness will still be sentenced to prison but with recommendations that they should receive treatment.
The AP left a voicemail Thursday afternoon seeking comment from Ethan Crumbley’s attorney, Paulette Michel Loftin, about the insane defense announcement.
The prosecutor’s office said Ethan Crumbley’s request for a criminal liability assessment from his attorney was expected and according to standard procedure.
School officials became concerned about Ethan Crumbley the day before the shooting, when a teacher saw him searching for ammo on his phone. Jennifer Crumbley was contacted and later told her son in a text message: “Lol. I’m not mad at him. You have to learn not to get caught,” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said.
On the day of the crime, a teacher found a note on Ethan’s desk and took a photo. It was a drawing of a gun pointed at the words, “Thoughts won’t stop. Help me,” McDonald said in December.
The drawing also features a person who appears to have been shot twice and is bleeding. “My Life Is Useless” and “The World Is Dead,” were written.
The gun used in the shooting had been purchased by James Crumbley a few days earlier and their son had full access to it, according to authorities.
McDonald’s has said that James and Jennifer Crumbley engaged in “serious” behavior, from buying a gun on Black Friday and getting Ethan Crumbley ready to fight his expulsion when they were summoned several times. hours before the shooting happened.
James and Jennifer Crumbley, later charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Detroit area attorney Ven Johnson, who is representing the parents in the lawsuit filed Thursday, said Ethan Crumbley knows what he’s doing and is “obviously disturbed,” but His parents did nothing.
A witness is still traumatized by the shooting, his mother says
Chad Gregory recounted at a press conference on Thursday what his son witnessed during the shooting.
Keegan Gregory was texting his family from a bathroom stall where he and Shilling were hiding.
“He was in that bathroom for five minutes,” said Chad Gregory. “He was in there with a gunman both killed and wounded. Justin gave him a plan that ‘if there’s a chance, we’ll run.’
“He called them one by one and Justin happened to be the first,” said Chad Gregory, adding that after Shilling was shot, Keegan was able to flee the bathroom.
Two months later, Keegan is still traumatized, Meghan Gregory said.
“He didn’t want to go back to the classroom, let alone function like a normal 15-year-old,” she said. “We have to check the door. We have to check under the bed.”
The school is in Oakland County, about 30 miles (50 km) north of Detroit. It reopened on Monday with a refurbished interior since the shooting.
In December, Jeffrey and Brandi Franz filed lawsuits in federal and county courts looking for 100 million dollars fought against the district. Their 17-year-old daughter, Riley, was shot in the neck. Her 14-year-old sister, Bella, a 9th grader, was with her at the time she was shot.
Their lawsuit says school officials and high school staff did not do enough to prevent the shooting and protect students.
