Ethan Crumbley: I gave my dad money to buy gun used in school shooting

Teenager Ethan Crumbley, who 11 months ago penned in his journal, "I will cause the biggest school shooting in Michigan's history. I have fully mentally lost it," pleaded guilty Monday to first-degree murder and terrorism charges for the bloodshed he vowed to carry out at Oxford High School four days after his parents bought him a gun.

Crumbley dropped a bombshell in admitting to his crimes, telling the judge that he gave his father money to buy him the gun that he used in the mass shooting, and that the gun was easily accessible — contradicting his parents' claims that the gun was securely stored.

"It was not locked," Ethan Crumbley said in court.

James and Jennifer Crumbley are charged with involuntary manslaughter over allegations involving their son's access to the gun.

'Is it true you intended to cause panic and fear?'

Showing no emotion in a courtroom packed with his victims' families, Ethan Crumbley pleaded guilty to murdering Tate Myre, 16; Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Hana St. Juliana, 14, and Justin Shilling, 17, and injuring seven others who were struck by his bullets on Nov. 30, just four days after his father took him on a Black Friday shopping trip and bought him the gun.

"Is it your own choice to plead guilty?" Oakland County Circuit Judge Kwamè Rowe asked him.

"Yes, sir," responded Crumbley, 16, who appeared a foot taller and thinner than the round-faced boy who was arrested almost a year ago in the hallway of his school.

Crumbley, who was 15 at the time of the killings, admitted that he deliberately shot and killed the students with his 9mm handgun — confirming what he wrote in his journal one day before the tragedy.

"First off, I got my gun. It's an SP2022 SIG Sauer 9mm. Second, the shooting is tomorrow, I have access to the gun and ammo," Crumbley wrote in his journal. "… the first victim has to be a pretty girl with a future so she can suffer like me."

"Is it true that you intended to cause panic and fear?" the prosecutor asked him.

"Yes," he responded.

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Crumbley is 'definitely' remorseful, despite lack of emotion in court, his attorney says

Crumbley, who now faces up to life in prison, pleaded guilty to all 24 counts with which he was charged, including first-degree murder, terrorism causing death and assault with intent to murder.

"You understand the maximum penalties you face here … life in prison, without parole," the judge asked him.

"Yes, sir," Crumbley responded from the lectern.

Crumbley, who has been locked up since the mass killing 11 months ago, showed no emotion as he delivered his guilty plea, offering only brief details about how he took a gun to school in his backpack and killed his classmates. His attorney Paulette Michel Loftin said she initially planned an insanity defense, but noted after Monday's plea hearing that such defenses are difficult and that her client opted instead to plead guilty.

"He's taking accountability for his actions," Loftin told reporters after the hearing, saying her client is "definitely" remorseful for what he did.

"We have to all remember he is a 16-year-old boy, so a very scary situation today to be in front of a number of cameras, hear the clicking, to be appearing in front of a judge" Loftin said, later adding: "It is an extremely emotional day. I don't think there are any words that could make (the victims' families) feel better."

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'There was no soul there'

“Today was a traumatic day, and while there’s a guilty plea, there’s still plenty of answers that we need to find,” said attorney Wolfgang Mueller, who is representing school families in a civil lawsuit against the school district over the shooting.

"It was cold-blooded what he did," Mueller said. "While he may have been dealt a bad set of cards with the parents, it's still a choice that he made to do the harm and bring the tragedy to Oxford."

As for the teenager's demeanor in court, Mueller said: "I'm frankly stunned by the lack of emotion … there was no soul there."

Prosecutors have alleged that Crumbley carried out his crime after long suffering from mental health issues that his parents failed to address. On the morning of the shooting, Ethan's parents were summoned to school to discuss his disturbing behavior — he had been researching bullets online during class the day before, and drew a violent picture of guns and blood with the words: "The thoughts won't stop, help me."

His parents had said they would get him counseling but declined to take Ethan home from school that day, insisting he be returned to class. Soon after his parents left, Ethan, who had a gun in his backpack, emerged from a bathroom and went on his rampage.

The parents, who according to Oakland County authorities did not watch their son's guilty plea, are charged with involuntary manslaughter for allegedly buying their son the gun that police say was used in the shooting. Prosecutors allege they engaged in gross negligence by ignoring their son's mental health needs, and failing to tell the school he had access to a gun — information they believe could have prevented the bloodshed.

The Crumbleys have denied responsibility for the deaths, arguing they had secured the weapon in a locked drawer in their home, and that they had no way of knowing their son was going to shoot up his school with it.

Defense lawyers for the Crumbleys did not comment on Crumbley's guilty plea as a judge has issued a gag order in their case, preventing both sides from discussing any parts of the parents' case with the media. They have long maintained in court proceedings and documents that the prosecutor is overreaching in charging the parents, maintaining they broke no laws and that there is no proof that the parents knew their son would commit a mass shooting.

Whitmer: Let's 'protect each other from gun violence'

For Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Crumbley's guilty plea highlights what she views as much-needed reforms to address the pervasive problem of gun violence in America.

“We must do more to protect each other from gun violence. Let’s work together on background checks, secure storage and red flag laws — commonsense gun violence prevention measures to keep our communities safe,” Whitmer said in a statement.

Whitmer also gave a nod to bipartisan legislation that helped Oxford schools hire mental health professionals, enhance security and offer additional learning time to students in the wake of the tragedy.

“My thoughts are with the students, teachers, staff, and families of Oxford High," Whitmer said after Crumbley's guilty plea hearing. "I hope this outcome offers them some peace after last year’s horrific shooting."

Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ethan Crumbley pleads guilty, says gun from shooting wasn't locked up