Christopher J. Marier

Ethan Crumbley’s parents could resort to blame game in dual trials over son’s gun access

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by

Christopher Marier
in

Ethan Crumbley was 15 when he opened fire at his suburban Detroit high school in November 2021, armed with a semi-automatic handgun that his parents helped purchase as an early Christmas present.

The rampage left four students dead and several others injured, shattering the close-knit community of Oxford, Michigan, and resulting last month in a life sentence without parole for Crumbley, who was charged as an adult and pleaded guilty to two dozen counts, including for murder and terrorism.

Now, scrutiny falls on the teenager’s parents. In a rare attempt to hold the parents of a school shooter criminally responsible, James Crumbley, 47, and his wife, Jennifer, 45, are each facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter and will be tried separately.

Full story: Ethan Crumbley’s parents could resort to blame game in dual trials over son’s gun access

Comments

8 responses to “Ethan Crumbley’s parents could resort to blame game in dual trials over son’s gun access”

  1. Sarah Al-Zaid

    At what point will we, as a society, start taking sun control seriously? If minors are not legally allowed to purchase a handgun, parents should not be allowed to give them as presents. They are not toys. I believe that every level of authority failed Ethan Crumbley, the shoot, as well as the students he shot. There were several signs pointing to the shooting. There was one sign too many. I believe that the parents should be held criminally negligent as well as the school administrators and counselors.

    Reply
    1. Ethan Hughes

      This is truly harmful and negligent behavior from his parents. It isn’t some situation where a younger person got a bottle of alcohol or some other gift that isn’t technically “legal”; this is a firearm. It’s insane that some people just seem to forget that these are weapons meant to inflict destruction, not just fun little toys. At the end of the day, Ethan Crumbley was a still developing child given an object of extreme power and he went rampant with that power; his parents need to accept the consequences of their choice.

      Reply
    2. Rebeca Cruz-Magallon

      Not only should parents not be allowed to gift a gun as a present they should especially not gift one to a minor. An individual at that age does not have the mentality to effectively and cautiously use such weapons especially if they have not been trained to do so. As legal guardians of the minor who committed such a cruel act, they should also be held liable. The parents showed no restriction towards the time and use of the weapon and their son, giving him the free will to use the gun however he pleased. The parents were negligent when it came to the upbringing of their child who can be described as a feral child.

      Reply
      1. Chloe Lemos

        I agree with your points. How is it ethical to gift a 15-year-old a gun? What were the parents thinking? My child will be different. No child or even minor for the matter should be given a gun as a gift unless you’re taught about gun safety. These parents were negligent in the matter and should be charged. The age to even own a semi-automatic handgun is age 18. These ages for guns are in place for a reason. If parents have a different view, that’s their opinion, but you’re going into the risk of a child committing crimes by doing this. Do you believe the parents are in the wrong? Or do you believe the parents were negligent in their actions?

        Reply
  2. John Henson

    I agree with your point. If there is a specified age where it is legal to own a handgun then the parents need to abide by that law. Firearms are not toys and they bought it for a kid. That kids brain is not completely developed yet so I believe that rehabilitation efforts should be made in his case but the parents should take full responsibility for his actions.

    Reply
    1. Alejandro Rodriguez

      In regards to the law the law does dictate a family member cannot gift a firearm to a child so it is perfectly legal to do so, it is actually very irresponsible to gift a child a handgun or long gun unless that child is seen as a responsible and emotionally stable individual which may require either lots of traning or lots of growth mentally and emotionally, I believe since they were directly responsible in gifting their child a firearm they could be charged with something such as negligence as they failed to see that their child would do soemthing harmful, it is a parent’s job to understand their child and know whether or not they are allowed to hold the responsiblilty of having a firearm.

      Reply
  3. Alejandro Rodriguez

    I wonder what are the implications for the parents of children who commited school shooting would be, would every parents in the future be investigated for their role to see if the household had underlying issues that caused the child to act so irrationally? Or would there be some type of new law that prevents parents or family members from giving a firearms as a gift to people not of age to legally buy their own firearm? As of yet children age 12 if I am not mistaken can possess a firearm if gifted by family but he/she cannot legally purchase a firearm at 18 (rifle & shotgun) and cannot purchase a handgun until 21.

    Reply
  4. Chloe Lemos

    How are we as a society allowing for non-gun control to take over? How is it ethical to gift a 15-year-old a gun? What were the parents thinking? ‘My child will be different.’ No child or even minor for the matter should be given a gun as a gift unless you’re taught about gun safety. These parents were negligent in the matter and should be charged. The age to even own a semi-automatic handgun is age 18. These ages for guns are in place for a reason. If parents have a different view, that’s their opinion, but you’re going into the risk of a child committing crimes by doing this. How would you as a parent react if you gave your child a gun as a gift?

    Reply

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