A jury has found James Crumbley, the father of the Oxford High School shooter, guilty of all four counts of involuntary manslaughter.
The jury returned a unanimous verdict on Thursday after a nearly week-long trial to determine if the father holds any responsibility for the Oxford High School shooting, where his son killed four students, Justin Shilling, Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, and Hana St. Juliana, and injured seven other people on Nov. 30, 2021.
Jurors deliberations began on Wednesday.
James Crumbley was not aware that his son had access to the gun.
The conviction comes after a jury found his wife, Jennifer Crumbley, guilty of the same charges in February.
James and Jennifer Crumbley will each be sentenced on April 9.
Closing arguments in James Crumbley trial Closing arguments began on March 13, after the defense called Karen Crumbley, the sister of James Crumbley, to testify. She was the only witness the defense called to the stand.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald gave her closing argument and said that James Crumbley needs to be held responsible for the Oxford High School shooting due to his gross negligence. James Crumbley is accused of not safely storing the gun away from his son or getting his son the help he needed for his mental health struggles.
"James Crumbley is not on trial for what his son did," McDonald said. "James Crumbley is on trial for what he did and what he didn't do."
Defense attorney Mariell Lehman argued that he was not aware that his son had access to the gun or was going to carry out the shooting. She also said the father wouldn't have known what the shooter was writing in his journal or in text messages to his friend.
with the families of the victims and the community so terribly impacted by this tragedy. You have my unwavering support. I know that these proceedings are not a re-opening of a wound, it is tearing wider a wound that has yet to heal. Each time my staff re-lives that terrible day in that school through their testimony, I can see the anguish in their faces. As this is the last criminal trial, I pray in the days ahead there will be less traumatic moments and more peaceful ones.
"The unconscionable actions of a troubled son and the inexplicably tragic inaction of two adults to exercise even the most basic responsible parenting for their son forever changed four families and the Oxford community. If you're very first thought when you hear about an active shooter at your child's school isn't, 'Is he OK?' but to worry if your son is the shooter or to rush home to find out if the gun you irresponsibly left unsecure is still there, then you should've done something in advance. There were so many inflection points where they could've changed the course of events, including when they refused to bring their child home on the day of the shooting.
"James Crumbley now stands guilty of involuntary manslaughter joining his wife and son as convicted felons in the deaths of four Oxford High School students. I applaud and thank the jurors for reaching a fair and just verdict in what was surely a difficult and emotionally draining experience for them. I'm also grateful for the prosecution team and my investigators who worked tirelessly on this case."
Statement from Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter:
"Another guilty verdict does not bring back Madisyn, Tate, Hana and Justin, but this is justice for the families and community - and for that I am grateful. I am also grateful for the dedicated efforts of Prosecutor Karen McDonald and her team on this groundbreaking case."
Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin issued the following statement:
"This is a historic moment in the fight against gun violence, & also I hope a moment that brings relief for Oxford. Thank you to everyone who testified in these cases, & to the families of Madisyn, Tate, Justin, & Hana for their continued courage.
"As they said tonight, there is much more work to do to protect our kids from gun violence, but their resolve has ensured that justice was served.
"It's also important to thank [Prosecutor Karen McDonald] and her office, who have worked tirelessly on these cases for over two years. They felt the Oxford story in their guts like all of us, and they took action, even when others may not have pursued something so groundbreaking.
"Michigan law now reinforces the precedent these cases and the courts have set here: If you have an unsecured weapon in a home with children, and one of them uses it to commit a crime, you can be charged and held accountable."