Prosecutors may charge parents of suspect in Michigan school shooting

Jake Epstein,Erin Snodgrass
Updated ·2 min read

  • Prosecutors are considering charging the parents of the suspect in the Michigan school shooting.

  • Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said the 15-year-old would be charged as an adult.

  • "It was absolutely premeditated," McDonald said of the shooting, which left four students dead.

The parents of the 15-year-old who the police say fatally shot four students and injured seven other people at a Michigan high school on Tuesday may be facing criminal charges.

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said on Wednesday that she was considering charging the parents of the suspect in the shooting at Oxford High School.

McDonald said prosecutors expected to charge the suspect, identified as Ethan Crumbley, with four counts of first-degree murder, one count of terrorism causing death, seven counts of assault with intent to murder, and 12 counts of felony firearm possession.

McDonald said Crumbley would be charged as an adult given the serious nature of the crime and because the evidence suggested the shooting was not an impulsive act. The terrorism count, which McDonald said was not a "typical" charge, was added to address "all the children who ran screaming" and were "hiding under desks," she said.

Authorities on Tuesday said Crumbley used a pistol his father had purchased last Friday. The police said Crumbley surrendered a loaded gun with seven rounds of ammunition.

Authorities identified the handgun as a 9mm Sig Sauer SP 2022 pistol and said it had two 15-round magazines. The suspect's father had purchased a third magazine, but authorities haven't found it, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said at a press conference.

McDonald told reporters that evidence suggested Crumbley had started planning "well before" the shooting, though she declined to elaborate.

"I am absolutely sure after reviewing the evidence that it isn't even a close call," she said. "It was absolutely premeditated."

Crumbley is expected to be arraigned on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.

McDonald said her office would make a decision shortly about whether to charge the suspect's parents in the shooting.

Justin Shilling, 17, Tate Myre, 16, Hana St. Juliana, 14, and Madisyn Baldwin, 17, were killed in the shooting. Seven others, including a teacher, were injured as of Wednesday morning.

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