Ethan Crumbley pleads guilty to Oxford school shooting: Here's what comes next.

Ethan Crumbley, the teen accused of killing four fellow students and injuring seven people at Oxford High, pleaded guilty Monday, withdrawing an insanity defense and avoiding a high-profile trial.

The plea now raises questions about what comes next for the 16-year-old, his parents — who are charged with multiple manslaughter counts in connection with the deadly shooting — and the survivors and their families who are still trying to heal.

In many ways, the case touches on criminal justice issues that have long been debated, including: What should happen to juveniles who commit heinous crimes and are charged as adults? Is the justice system for punishment or rehabilitation? And who else, including the parents of the killer, should be held responsible?

Crumbley is set to return to court for an additional hearing at 9 am. Feb. 9, with a sentencing date to follow.

In addition to criminal charges against the teen's parents — Jennifer and James Crumbley — multimillion-dollar civil lawsuits have been filed by the shooting victims, alleging Oxford school officials were negligent in failing to prevent the shooting rampage at the high school.

Crumbley, now 16, was charged as an adult.

David Williams, chief assistant prosecutor in Oakland County, told the Free Press on Friday that no plea deals, no reductions and no agreements regarding sentencing had been made. Crumbley reiterated Monday that there was no plea deal in place, and said it was his own choice to plead guilty.

Pleading guilty Monday to all 24 charges, including terrorism and first-degree murder, is effectively an unspoken plea for mercy.

More:Ethan Crumbley admits guilt to murder in Oxford High School shooting

Could it mean Ethan Crumbley gets less time?

It is unclear whether pleading guilty, which would spare survivors and their families a trial, will earn Crumbley any leniency or help his parents' case.

He also could be sentenced to repay the government expenses.

In general, sentences for multiple crime convictions run concurrently, and according to court documents, first-degree murder is punishable by life without parole or a minimum sentence of 25-40 years and a maximum sentence of at least 60 years.

In addition to an attorney, the teen has a court-appointed guardian ad litem.

More:Prosecutor asserts Crumbleys' 'toxic' family life turned their son into a killer

Why not a life sentence without parole?

Until recently, juveniles could be charged as adults receiving the same sentence as one. However, since 2005, Supreme Court rulings have banned the use of capital punishment for juveniles as well as mandatory life sentences without parole for juveniles.

Why?

The high court was convinced by research on adolescent brain development that children are different from adults. At the time, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy called it information that "any parent knows" and it excluded the harshest sentencing practices for people younger than 18.

The court said those punishments are disproportionate punishments for children.

Who is the judge on the case?

Kwamé Rowe — who was appointed to the Oakland County Circuit Court in August 2021 becoming the second African American man to serve on the Sixth Circuit — oversaw the plea. He earned his law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School and graduated from James Madison College at Michigan State University.

What happened at Oxford High School?

The shooting happened on Nov. 30, 2021. Crumbley was 15.

A teacher had found a drawing with a gun pointing at the words, "The thoughts won't stop. Help me." Crumbley's parents had been called to the school that day to discuss it. Police said the Crumbleys agreed to get their son counseling but declined to take him home.

Later that day, the then-high school sophomore admitted he exited a boy's bathroom and opened fire at the school with a 9 mm handgun killing four people — Hana St. Juliana, 14; Tate Myre, 16; Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Justin Shilling, 17 — and injuring seven others.

In court, Ethan Crumbley said he picked out the 9 mm gun and his father bought it for him using money Ethan gave him. These are details that will likely come into play in the manslaughter case. His parents, however, have said they were unaware of Ethan's plans.

Where was Ethan Crumbley being held?

Since the shooting, Crumbley was arrested and placed in the Oakland County Jail. His parents, who were arrested later and are also in jail, are accused by prosecutors of creating "an environment in which their son's violent tendencies flourished."

The prosecution said: "They were aware their son was troubled, and then they bought him a gun."

The charges against Ethan Crumbley's parents, however, are unusual.

More:Witness: Jennifer Crumbley 'felt like a failure' as a mom to school shooting suspect

A few other cases have held adults responsible for shootings committed by children, including a Flint case in 2000 in which a man pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter after a 6-year-old boy living with him found a gun and killed a classmate.

But the Crumbleys are the first parents in America charged in a mass school shooting.

Civil lawsuits against the school district

Shortly after the shooting, attorney Geoffrey Fieger filed a $100-million lawsuit on behalf of sisters and Oxford High students, Riley, a senior, and Bella Franz, a freshman. They survived. According to Fieger, Riley was shot in the neck as she exited a restroom.

In August, Ven Johnson, who is representing several parents of shooting victims in multiple civil lawsuits against school district officials, said that surveillance video shows a security officer at Oxford High opening the door of a bathroom where Crumbley was still carrying out his attack.

The guard, Johnson said, closed the door and walked away.

The lawsuits claim Oxford employees acted negligently in failing to intervene and stop the alleged shooter.

Johnson said Monday after the guilty plea: "We will continue to fight until the truth is revealed about what went wrong leading up to this tragedy, and who, including Crumbley’s parents and multiple Oxford Community Schools employees, could have and should have prevented it."

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com. Reporters Elisha Anderson and Lily Altavena, and the Associated Press contributed.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ethan Crumbley guilty in Oxford shooting: What comes next