Prosecutor discloses Oxford school shooting suspect's graphic drawing

Prosecutors on Thursday released what they have described as the biggest red flag indicating that 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley was "intent on violence" before he shot up Oxford High School: his drawing of a gun on a math homework sheet, and these troubling messages:

This drawing is an exhibit from a filing by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office in the case of James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of Oxford High School shooting suspect Ethan Crumbley. Prosecutors say Ethan made the drawing prior to the shooting.
This drawing is an exhibit from a filing by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office in the case of James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of Oxford High School shooting suspect Ethan Crumbley. Prosecutors say Ethan made the drawing prior to the shooting.

"My life is useless," "Blood everywhere" and "The thoughts won't stop, help me."

It was this drawing that school counselors showed the teenager's parents just hours before the Nov. 30 massacre that left four students dead and seven others injured. Ethan Crumbley allegedly drew the gun earlier that morning, along with a bullet, a bleeding victim and the dark messages.

Prosecutors say the teenager had given his parents many signs over the last six months that he was spiraling and needed help, but that the parents ignored all the signs that prosecutors charge could have prevented the massacre.

"Most importantly, their son gave the clearest sign of all that he was intent on violence in his initial drawing on Nov. 30, and the modifications he made after the drawing was discovered," prosecutors allege in court documents, stressing the parents "failed to take even the simplest actions that would have prevented the massacre."

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"All they had to do was tell the school that they had recently purchased a gun for their son, asked him where the gun was, opened his backpack or just take him home," the prosecution argues. "Defendants were in a better position than anyone else in the world to prevent this tragedy, but they failed to do so."

This drawing is an exhibit from a filing by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office in the case of James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of Oxford High School shooting suspect Ethan Crumbley. Prosecutors say Ethan made the drawing prior to the shooting.
This drawing is an exhibit from a filing by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office in the case of James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of Oxford High School shooting suspect Ethan Crumbley. Prosecutors say Ethan made the drawing prior to the shooting.

According to the prosecution, a teacher spotted the drawing, took a screenshot of it and contacted a counselor, who summoned the teenager to the office. There he was met by his parents, though he had altered the picture he had drawn.

The prosecutor's office disclosed both versions of the picture in the court filing. In Exhibit 1, they show the drawing that the teacher originally spotted. Exhibit 2 shows the altered version.

In the version that Ethan Crumbley allegedly tweaked, the shooting victim, gun and bullet are crossed out, along with the words "blood everywhere," "help me," and "my life is useless." The modified version also shows a crying-laughing emoji, along with the words: "video game this is," "we're all friends here," "harmless act," "I love my life so much!!!!" and "OHS rocks!"

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald disclosed the drawings as part of a broader request that the court keep the suspect's parents, Jennifer and James Crumbley, locked up on a $500,000 bond, and not lower it to $100,000, as requested by the defense.

McDonald argues that the Crumbleys are a greater flight risk than they were when they were arraigned, saying the couple are $11,000 behind on house payments, have sold their horses and are currently trying to sell their home.

Jennifer and James Crumbley are facing involuntary manslaughter charges for their alleged roles in the school shooting. Prosecutors allege the couple ignored their son's depression and obsession with guns for months, failed to get him help and failed to notify the school about the gun they had bought him just four days prior to the shooting.

The defense argues their clients had no way of knowing their son was going to use the gun at school, and that they are not responsible for what happened.

Ethan Crumbley is facing first-degree murder and terrorism charges and has pleaded not guilty. So have his parents. All three Crumbleys are being held at the Oakland County Jail, though they cannot communicate with one another.

Frank Witsil contributed to this story.

Contact Tresa Baldas:tbaldas@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Prosecutor discloses Oxford school shooting suspect's graphic drawing