15-year-old Oxford suspect could face terrorism, first-degree murder charges: What that means
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald is seeking numerous charges against 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, the suspect in Tuesday's rampage at Oxford High School that left four students dead.
If convicted, Crumbley could spend the rest of his life behind bars without the possibility of parole.
Charges include four counts of first-degree murder, terrorism, and firearm possession charges, McDonald announced Wednesday afternoon. McDonald is seeking to charge Crumbley as an adult and may pursue charges against his parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley.
Crumbley, a sophomore at Oxford, is accused of killing four people — Hana St. Juliana, 14, Tate Myre, 16, and Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Justin Shilling, 17 — and injuring seven others Tuesday.
Here are the charges McDonald is seeking against Crumbley:
One count of terrorism causing death
Four counts of first-degree murder
Seven counts of assault with intent to murder
12 counts of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony
Crumbley was arraigned in district court in Rochester Hills Wednesday afternoon, he joined via video from Oakland County's Children's Village, a juvenile center.
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The charges
The investigation thus far has pointed investigators to believe Crumbley's actions were not impulsive, contributing to McDonald's desire to charge the teen as an adult, she said. Further, under Michigan law, some crimes are so severe that they require the suspect to be automatically treated as an adult — foremost, first-degree murder.
"Charging this person as an adult is necessary to achieve justice and protect the public," McDonald said Wednesday, hours before Crumbley was arraigned. "I'm committed to seeking justice for the victims of the Oxford High School shooting and all Oakland County kids who face violence."
The terrorism charge, McDonald said, is in relation to the horrors inflicted upon the rest of the school's community who weren't direct victims but still faced trauma.
"What about all the children who ran screaming, hiding under desks? What about all the children at home who can't eat and can't sleep and can't imagine a world where they could ever step foot back in that school?" McDonald said.
More: Oxford High School shooting leaves 4 dead, multiple injured: Everything we know
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Oxford suspect could face terrorism, murder charges: What that means
