Michigan suspect’s parents met with teachers hours before shooting to discuss his ‘concerning behaviour’
The parents of Ethan Crumbley, the 15-year-old shooter accused of killing four students at a Michigan high school, had a meeting with his teachers to discuss his behaviour just three hours before he allegedly went on a rampage on Tuesday.
Mr Crumbley, a sophomore at the Oxford High School in Detroit suburbs, allegedly shot 11 people, killing four fellow students and injuring several.
Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald has said that the 15-year-old will be charged as an adult. He is currently charged with one count of terrorism, four counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of assault with intent to murder and twelve counts of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Ms McDonald said the charges stemmed from “undeniable” evidence that the attack was premeditated.
At 10am on Tuesday, the teen’s parents Jennifer Crumbley and James Crumbley were called into the school for a meeting with teachers about his concerning behaviour. Reports said that this was his second meeting with teachers. He had a similar meeting with them on Monday – this time without his parents.
Investigators said that there was no record of Mr Crumbley facing bullying at the school.
Mr Crumbley had reportedly written down in detail how he wanted to shoot students at his school in his journal. The teen allegedly posted a chilling countdown on Instagram hours before the shooting, writing: “Now I become death – destroyer of worlds – see you tomorrow Oxford.”
Prosecutors accused him of “methodically and deliberately” walking the halls of his school and shooting fellow students.
Follow live updates on the Michigan school shooting
Mr Crumbley, who is now in police custody, is believed to have used a semi-automatic handgun his father purchased on Black Friday. He was arraigned on Wednesday afternoon and ordered to be held without bond at Oakland County Jail.
Ms McDonald suggested that the teen’s parents may also be charged for failing to keep the 9mm handgun away from his reach. On his Instagram page, days before the attack, Mr Crumbley had allegedly pretended that the gun was his own.
Meanwhile, the four students who died in the shooting have been identified as Madisyn Baldwin and Justin Shilling, aged 17, 16-year-old Tate Myre, and 14-year-old Hana St Juliana. The injured students were aged 14 to 17.
The only adult who was shot was a 47-year-old teacher, who has been discharged from hospital.
A senior at the school, Aiden Page, recalled the moment he heard the gunshots on Tuesday afternoon. “We grabbed calculators, we grabbed scissors just in case the shooter got in and we had to attack them,” he said.
Freshman Mark Kluska said: “I started realising it was real when I began to hear yelling.”
Read More
