(Washington) Parents of a teenager who killed four students at a northern US school pleaded not guilty on Saturday to manslaughter for letting their son use a gift gun, a judge posted bail to a million dollars.
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Cyril JULIEN France Media Agency
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During the reading of the indictment on Saturday morning, James and Jennifer Crumbley, detained since the day before, pleaded not guilty to the charges which target them, four manslaughter for which they risk up to 15 years in prison.
Police arrested Ethan Crumbley’s parents at an industrial building in Detroit.
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While in the United States, shootings involving a teenager have become tragically familiar, it is very rare for parents to be prosecuted.
Wanted by the police and the FBI, the Crumbley couple were arrested Friday in an industrial building in Detroit, about sixty kilometers north of the scene of the shooting.
Parents’ lawyers have assured that they intended to surrender, but County Sheriff Michael Bouchard believes on the contrary that they were on the run and “were in hiding”.
“They weren’t trying to get to this stage” and, “clearly, someone helped them find this place and make it available to them,” he said during a press briefing on Saturday afternoon.
Judging by “very, very serious” charges and a risk of absconding, Judge Julie Nicholson set bail at $ 500,000 each.
Four 14 to 17-year-old students were killed at school in Oxford, a small town north of Detroit, on Tuesday, and six were injured including a teacher.
The perpetrator of the shooting, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, has been charged with “terrorist act” and “murder”. According to the sheriff, the three family members are being held in the county jail, with no possibility of communicating with each other.
Christmas gift
On the occasion of the big “Black Friday” promotions, James Crumbley had gone with his son to buy him a Sig Sauer semi-automatic pistol as an anticipated Christmas present. The teenager then bragged about it by posting images of the weapon on social networks, calling it “beauty”.
According to police, he had recorded a video the day before the shooting on his cell phone in which he announced his intention to use his weapon at school, without distributing it on the internet.
That same day, both parents learned that their son was searching for ammunition on the internet at school, according to local prosecutor Karen McDonald. The mother then sent him a message: “I’m not mad, next time don’t get caught.”
The next morning, Ethan Crumbley was summoned with his parents by the school administration for drawings of a gun and a bloody body.
Two hours after the meeting, he had come out of the bathroom, gun in hand, methodically progressing through the halls of the school, shooting at students and at the doors of the classrooms where the students had barricaded themselves. He fired at least 30 bullets.
According to the police, he opened fire at random, without choosing previously identified victims.
“Instead of revealing to the school that he had full access to this weapon”, the parents “decided not to bring their son home, they decided not to tell anyone that he could be dangerous” , said the prosecutor on Saturday.
” Do not do it ”
Shootings are a recurring scourge in the United States, where the right to own guns is constitutionally guaranteed.
“These indictments are a message so that people understand that from the moment they hold a weapon, they are responsible for it,” said the prosecutor, announcing the lawsuits against the parents.
The teenager “entered the school and pulled the trigger”, but “other people contributed to this event and I intend to hold them accountable,” she added.
Lawyers for the parents claimed that it was wrong to say that the teenager had free access to a gun.
“Our clients will fight these charges,” said Shannon Smith. “Our customers are just as devastated as everyone else. ”
On the news of a school shooting, Jennifer Crumbley had sent a message to her son, writing “Ethan, do not do it”. His father then reported to the police the disappearance of the pistol from the drawer where it was stored.
The tragedy created an atmosphere of psychosis in Michigan, where authorities were “inundated” with messages of threats against schools.
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Cyril JULIEN
France Media Agency
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During the reading of the indictment on Saturday morning, James and Jennifer Crumbley, detained since the day before, pleaded not guilty to the charges which target them, four manslaughter for which they risk up to 15 years in prison.
PHOTO SETH HERALD, REUTERS
Police arrested Ethan Crumbley’s parents at an industrial building in Detroit.
–
While in the United States, shootings involving a teenager have become tragically familiar, it is very rare for parents to be prosecuted.
Wanted by the police and the FBI, the Crumbley couple were arrested Friday in an industrial building in Detroit, about sixty kilometers north of the scene of the shooting.
OAKLAND COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE PHOTO VIA REUTERS
Ethan Crumbley
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Parents’ lawyers have assured that they intended to surrender, but County Sheriff Michael Bouchard believes on the contrary that they were on the run and “were in hiding”.
“They weren’t trying to get to this stage” and, “clearly, someone helped them find this place and make it available to them,” he said during a press briefing on Saturday afternoon.
Judging by “very, very serious” charges and a risk of absconding, Judge Julie Nicholson set bail at $ 500,000 each.
Four 14 to 17-year-old students were killed at school in Oxford, a small town north of Detroit, on Tuesday, and six were injured including a teacher.
The perpetrator of the shooting, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, has been charged with “terrorist act” and “murder”. According to the sheriff, the three family members are being held in the county jail, with no possibility of communicating with each other.
Christmas gift
On the occasion of the big “Black Friday” promotions, James Crumbley had gone with his son to buy him a Sig Sauer semi-automatic pistol as an anticipated Christmas present. The teenager then bragged about it by posting images of the weapon on social networks, calling it “beauty”.
According to police, he had recorded a video the day before the shooting on his cell phone in which he announced his intention to use his weapon at school, without distributing it on the internet.
That same day, both parents learned that their son was searching for ammunition on the internet at school, according to local prosecutor Karen McDonald. The mother then sent him a message: “I’m not mad, next time don’t get caught.”
PHOTO ERIC SEALS, DETROIT FREE PRESS VIA AP
Oakland County District Attorney Karen McDonald
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The next morning, Ethan Crumbley was summoned with his parents by the school administration for drawings of a gun and a bloody body.
Two hours after the meeting, he had come out of the bathroom, gun in hand, methodically progressing through the halls of the school, shooting at students and at the doors of the classrooms where the students had barricaded themselves. He fired at least 30 bullets.
According to the police, he opened fire at random, without choosing previously identified victims.
“Instead of revealing to the school that he had full access to this weapon”, the parents “decided not to bring their son home, they decided not to tell anyone that he could be dangerous” , said the prosecutor on Saturday.
” Do not do it ”
Shootings are a recurring scourge in the United States, where the right to own guns is constitutionally guaranteed.
“These indictments are a message so that people understand that from the moment they hold a weapon, they are responsible for it,” said the prosecutor, announcing the lawsuits against the parents.
The teenager “entered the school and pulled the trigger”, but “other people contributed to this event and I intend to hold them accountable,” she added.
Lawyers for the parents claimed that it was wrong to say that the teenager had free access to a gun.
“Our clients will fight these charges,” said Shannon Smith. “Our customers are just as devastated as everyone else. ”
On the news of a school shooting, Jennifer Crumbley had sent a message to her son, writing “Ethan, do not do it”. His father then reported to the police the disappearance of the pistol from the drawer where it was stored.
The tragedy created an atmosphere of psychosis in Michigan, where authorities were “inundated” with messages of threats against schools.
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