Pontiac, Michigan – The father of the teenager who tragically took the lives of four students at a Michigan high school faced limitations on his jail communication privileges following the utterance of threatening statements, authorities disclosed on Thursday.
James Crumbley, 47, is currently on trial for involuntary manslaughter in connection to the 2021 killings carried out at Oxford High School in suburban Detroit by his son, Ethan Crumbley. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office revealed that James Crumbley had his phone and electronic messages restricted due to the nature of threatening statements made, although specifics were not provided.
A court order enacted by the overseeing judge decreed that all of James Crumbley’s communication, except with his lawyer, legitimate clergy, or for research purposes on his tablet, be revoked. The tragic events unfolded when Ethan Crumbley, then 15, used a 9 mm handgun purchased by his father just four days prior to carry out the devastating school shooting.
Prosecutors argued that James Crumbley knowingly provided his son with the semi-automatic Sig Sauer handgun as a gift without ensuring proper security measures were in place, allowing the sequence of events to unfold. County prosecutor Marc Keast emphasized to jurors that the gift was given despite Ethan’s evident social isolation and distress.
During the trial, James Crumbley’s defense attorney contended that he was unaware of any potential danger posed by his son or the accessibility he had to the firearm. Following a prosecutor’s inquiry over threatening statements made by James Crumbley in court, agreements were reached to restrict his communication but allow participation in defense preparations.
Jennifer Crumbley, the wife of James, was previously found guilty on all counts of involuntary manslaughter related to the school shooting incident, with a sentencing scheduled for April. The case against the Crumbleys signifies a rare instance where parents are held accountable for their child’s actions in a school shooting. Ethan Crumbley, having pleaded guilty in October 2022, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Overall, the ongoing trial continues to shed light on the tragic events of the Michigan school shooting and the legal consequences faced by the individuals involved.