Oxford High School shooter got in fight in prison, facing possible sanctions

Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press
Updated ·2 min read
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The Oxford High School shooter got into a fight with another teenage prisoner at the Thumb Correctional Facility in Lapeer earlier this week and now could face sanctions, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections.

The fight between Ethan Crumbley, 17, and another 17-year-old happened Tuesday in a unit where incarcerated youths under the age of 18 are housed, MDOC spokesman Kyle Kaminski said.

“There were no weapons and no serious injuries," Kaminski said. "Staff responded and broke it up. And so both prisoners have been issued misconducts" with any sanctions to be determined.

Crumbley was 15 when he gunned down classmates at Oxford High School on Nov. 30, 2021, killing Hana St. Juliana, 14; Tate Myre, 16; Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Justin Shilling, 17 and injuring seven other people. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, terrorism causing death and other charges and was sentenced in December to serve life in prison without parole.

Ethan Crumbley stands and addresses the court before being sentenced, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in Pontiac, Mich. Crumbly was sentenced to life in prison for killing four students, wounding more, and terrorizing Michigan's Oxford High School in 2021. A judge Friday rejected pleas for a shorter sentence and ensured that Crumbley, 17, will not get an opportunity for parole.

His parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, were both convicted in separate trials of involuntary manslaughter charges in the deaths of the four students killed by their son.

Kaminski said the latest fight is Ethan Crumbley's third instance of misconduct since arriving at the prison. The earlier incidents involved horseplay and fighting. Kaminski could not share details about the latest fight and said a hearing will be held to determine whether the teen is guilty of the misconduct and, if so, possible sanctions.

Kaminski said Ethan Crumbley is housed in a unit with other male prisoners under the age of 18. Kaminski said there are currently fewer than 10 youths in the unit, where they each have their own cell, but share common areas.

"School is a primary focus for them because of their age, so most will do school three-plus hours a day and ... that's going to be focused on getting ready to take a high school equivalency test and so that's one of the kind of key structures of their day," Kaminski said. The way the unit operates, "they would be out of their cell quite often during the day in those common areas."

Kaminski said Ethan Crumbley will be in the unit until he turns 18 next month.

“Prisoners can only be in that unit while they’re under the age of 18," Kaminski said. "So as soon as he reaches the age of 18, he’s no longer eligible to be in that unit.”

Contact Gina Kaufman: gkaufman@freepress.com. Follow her on X: @ReporterGina.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Oxford school shooter facing possible sanctions after fight in prison