The parents of Michigan high school shooting suspect Ethan Crumbley will stand trial over the massacre that left four students dead, following a judge’s ruling.
James and Jennifer Crumbley are each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter for their alleged role in the deadliest high school shooting since Parkland in 2018.
They appeared in court for the second day of their preliminary hearing on Thursday to decide if there was enough evidence to take them to trial.
Judge Julie Nicholson decided that there was - paving the way for the case to move through the courts.
“The court finds that the four victims could have been avoided if James and Jennifer Crumbley exercised ordinary care in the diligence of their son,” the judge said.
“There was extensive testimony that Ethan Crumbley was certainly a troubled young man, and that they had knowledge of that situation. But they purchased a gun, which he believed was his and and that he was free to use.”
The decision came after both Crumbley parents were seen breaking down in tears in the courtroom as passages from their 15-year-old son’s journal were read out.
In the journal, Ethan wrote about his plans to carry out the “biggest school shooting in Michigan’s history” and how he wanted his first victim to be “a pretty girl”.
“I will cause the biggest school shooting in Michigan’s history. I will kill everyone I f***ing see,” he wrote.
He added: “The first victim has to be to be a pretty girl with a future so she can suffer like me.”
Prosecutors pointed to the teenager’s repeated mentions of his parents’ lack of support for his struggles, saying that they “won’t help” or “listen to me”.
“I have zero help with my mental problems and it’s causing me to shoot the school. My parents won’t listen to me,” he wrote.
“I have fully mentally lost it after fighting my dark side. My parents won’t help me.”
He added: “I hope my parents can forgive me for what I do.”
The court also heard testimony from the school counsellor who met with the Crumbleys at Oxford High School on the morning of the mass shooting on 30 November.
The Crumbleys had been called into the school for a meeting with staff, counsellors and Ethan after a teacher found the teenager with a drawing of a shooting victim, gun and bullet and the phrase “the thoughts won’t stop, help me”.
This came one day after a teacher had also found Ethan searching for ammunition on his phone, according to prosecutors.
Shawn Hopkins told the court he told Ethan’s parents that he needed mental health support as soon as possible to which Ms Crumbley replied “are we done?” and both parents left the school.
He said the Crumbleys “weren’t friendly or showing care” for their teenage son.
Not long after, Ethan allegedly opened fire on his classmates.
Prosecutors said the parents bought their 15-year-old son the gun days earlier as an earlier Christmas present, left it “freely available” to him and ignored multiple warning signs about his disturbing behaviour in the lead-up to the shooting.
In an unprecedented move, prosecutors charged the Crumbleys with manslaughter over the deaths of four students killed in the massacre - Hana St. Juliana, 14, Tate Myre, 16, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Justin Shilling, 17.
They have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Thursday’s hearing came one day after Ethan also appeared in court for a hearing where prosecutors and his defence argued over moving the teen to a juvenile facility while he awaits trial.
Prosecutors told the court that Ethan should stay put in adult jail because he has “a deeper and more calculated mind than any other 15-year-old”.
The teenager has allegedly been basking in the notoriety surrounding his case, asking jailers how he can get his hands on “fan mail” being sent to him.
Prosecutors pointed to messages where the teenager “spoke of his admiration for Adolf Hitler and Jeffrey Dahmer, specifically stating, when you die, you need to be remembered for a long time”.
Other disturbing behaviour also came to light, including messages about wanting to rape a female, torture and murder a female classmate and that he enjoyed listening to baby birds dying.
A judge will make a decision on the potential transfer later this week.
The 15-year-old is charged with 24 counts including terrorism and first-degree murder. His attorneys have said he plans to plead insanity.
