January 1, Oxford Shooting: Prosecutor Doesn’t Rule Out Charges Against School Officials

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald hasn’t ruled out the possibility of bringing charges against Oxford High School officials for their role in last week’s deadly shooting.

During an interview with ABC’s Good Morning America, McDonald said the investigation will determine whether school officials will face charges. She noted that three hours before Ethan Crumbley opened fire, he was sent back to class after a meeting with school counselors and his parents over a drawing a teacher found on his desk that included a bullet, a gun, and the words “blood everywhere.”

“In this case a lot could have been done different. I mean at that meeting he was allowed to go back to school,” McDonald said.

Tim Throne, superintendent of the Oxford school district, confirmed that Crumbley and his parents met with counselors on the day of the shooting. He said counselors didn’t believe Crumbley would harm others.

Jennifer and James Crumbley were asked to take their son home but “flatly refused,” Throne said.

“We know that he either had that weapon with him or someplace where he could have stored it in the school. But he had it in the school, there’s no question. And leaving the decision to parents about whether he goes home or not …” she added, not finishing her sentence.

McDonald said that Crumbley’s parents didn’t mention that Ethan had access to a 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Authorities say he used the gun to carry out the attack and that his father bought it for him at a local gun shop on Black Friday as an early Christmas present. According to Michigan law, minors cannot possess guns except in limited situations, such as hunting with an adult.

“You can’t even in an airport mention anything that even remotely indicates that there might be some sort of violence on a plane. You’ll be immediately extracted. And yet we have a kid who is … saying some pretty concerning things and he was allowed to go back to school, and neither parent mentions that he had access to a weapon,” McDonald said.

McDonald said prosecutors have evidence suggesting that the couple “purchased that weapon for their 15-year-old and bragged about it online — thought this was some joyous occasion as a present.”

And she said the teen had access to the gun “whether it was locked or not” at his family’s home.

Ethan Crumbley has been charged as an adult with murder, terrorism, and other crimes in the assault. Jennifer and James Crumbley each face four counts of involuntary manslaughter.

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Prosecutor criticizes school over run-up to mass shooting