'You failed as parents:' Families of teens killed in Michigan mass shooting slam Crumbleys
As James and Jennifer Crumbley sat in a courtroom Tuesday waiting to be sentenced in connection with a mass shooting committed by their son at a Michigan high school, family members of the four teens killed lambasted the couple, with one saying no punishment is enough.
During separate trials, the Crumbleys sought to minimize their roles in their teenage son's decision and ability to perpetrate the mass shooting. But in the series of victim impact statements, those who loved the four slain students the most made it clear just how culpable they thought the Crumbleys were for buying their son a gun and ignoring the troubling signs about his mental health.
The Crumbleys were both found guilty – Jennifer in February and James in March – of four counts of involuntary manslaughter for each victim in the November 2021 mass shooting at Oxford High School about an hour north of Detroit. They were both sentenced Tuesday in a Michigan district courtroom to 10 to 15 years in prison, becoming the first parents in the United States to be held criminally responsible for a school shooting by their child.
In handing down the sentence, Judge Cheryl Matthews condemned the Crumbleys for the "glorified the use and possession of these weapons."
Both parents addressed the courtroom Tuesday to express remorse for the actions of their son, Ethan, who was 15 at the time of the shooting. The teen is serving a life sentence after he pleaded guilty to murder and terrorism.
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'You failed as parents'
Nicole Beausoleil, the mother of 17-year-old victim Madisyn Baldwin, was the first to deliver a victim impact statement, condemning the Crumbleys and asking the judge to give them the maximum punishment.
"The lack of compassion you have shown is disgusting," Beausoleil said through tears, blaming the parents for the loss of her daughter and the never-ending pain she still endures. "You failed as parents. The punishment that you face will never be enough."
Beausoleil recalled the final hours of her daughter's life, contrasting those final moments with the Crumbleys' actions before and during the shooting.
"When you were on the phone ... trying to figure out where the gun was ... I was on the phone with her father trying to figure out where she was," she said. "When you texted 'Ethan don't do it,' I was texting Madisyn: 'I love you. Please call Mom.'"
Her voice cracking, Beausoleil talked about how she would often look at her daughter and wonder: "What did I do to deserve a perfect person? I grew up because of her ... I mattered because of her."
'Living a life like this is not normal'
Craig Shilling, the father of 17-year-old victim Justin Shilling, said that by giving an impact statement, he could describe how Ethan Crumbley's actions have altered not just his life, but the lives of everyone in the courtroom.
“Most people will never have to make an impact statement,” he said. “This is not normal. Living a life like this is not normal.”
Agreeing with Beausoleil, Shilling said the Crumbleys "failed at their parental responsibilities" and should face the maximum sentence.
“I just can’t get over the fact that this tragedy was completely avoidable,” Shilling said. “They failed across the board ... This type of blatant disregard is unacceptable.”
Both Beausoleil and Craig Shilling singled out Jennifer Crumbley’s comment during the trial that she would not do anything differently, pointing to what Beausoleil described as a lack of compassion.
'If only they had taken him home'
Justin's mother, Jill Soave, also spoke about the weight her son's death has left on her and echoed her husband's call for a maximum sentence.
Soave described Justin's achievements in school and said their family would have been celebrating his 20th birthday soon.
“The ripple effects of both James’ and Jennifer’s failures to act have devastated us all,” she said. “If only, your honor, they had taken their son to get counseling instead of buying a gun … If only they had checked his backpack, if only they had taken him home or taken him to counseling instead of abandoning him at that school, I wouldn’t be standing here today.”
Soave is honoring Justin through the Forever Justin Shilling Foundation, an effort announced last year to honor his love of nature, which promises to use donated funds to help plant trees, host local clean-up events and support clean water and air programs.
“His future was so very bright," Soave said. "Full of possibilities.”
'Apply lessons learned'
Arguing that criticizing the Crumbleys was "low-hanging fruit," Buck Myre, the father of 16-year-old victim Tate Myre, instead turned his attention to how the government, schools and other institutions can prevent such tragedies.
“From the purchase of the gun to the response,” he said. “That’s when real change happens. When we look at something, evaluate it and apply lessons learned.”
'You gave him a gun'
Reina St. Juliana, the sister of 14-year-old victim Hana St. Juliana, brought many to tears as she spoke of how her sister would never see her prom, graduation or birthdays.
"I never got to say goodbye," Reina said. "Hana was only 14 ... She took her last breath in a school she hadn't even been in for three months."
She looked at the Crumbleys and said: "The fact is, you did fail as a parent, Jennifer. Both of you ... Instead of giving quality time ... you gave him a gun."
"I miss her with every breath I take," she said. "I have never known pain that is forever until I saw Hana in a casket."
This 'destroyed a large portion of my soul'
Hana's father, Steve St. Juliana, also spoke, saying that the Crumbleys’ choices are what enabled their son to carry out the shooting that killed his daughter.
“They chose to stay quiet, they chose to ignore the warning signs,” he said. “They continue to choose to blame everyone but themselves.”
The dreams St. Juliana had for his daughter died with her, he said.
“It’s impossible for me to truly convey the complete impact of my daughter’s loss,” he said. “Hana’s murder has destroyed a large portion of my soul ... I remain a shell of the person I used to be.”
Hana’s family has established a memorial fund in her honor, which is raising money to build a garden in her honor.
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, Cybele Mayes-Osterman
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Families of slain teens slam parents of Michigan shooter: 'You failed'
