James and Jennifer Crumbley, parents of Michigan school shooting suspect Ethan Crumbley, pleaded not guilty to four counts each of involuntary manslaughter Saturday, CNN reports. Bond was set at $500,000.
Their son has been charged with murder, terrorism, and other counts after he allegedly opened fire on his classmates at Oxford High School Tuesday, killing four students and wounding seven others.
The two were arrested in Detroit Saturday morning following an hours-long manhunt that, according to The Wall Street Journal, involved the FBI and U.S. Marshals. Law enforcement considered the two fugitives after they failed to appear at their arraignment Friday, but the couple's lawyer insisted they had left town for their own safety and always intended to turn themselves in.
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The couple withdrew $4,000 from an ATM before leaving Oxford, then turned off their cell phones. Detroit Police Chief James White said the Crumbleys "appeared to be hiding" in a warehouse at the time of the arrest.
Oakland county prosecutor Karen McDonald levied charges against the parents Friday. It is unusual, but not unprecedented, for prosecutors to pursue charges against the parents of school shooters if the prosecutors believe those parents have been exceptionally negligent.
McDonald said James purchased the gun used in the shooting, which was reportedly described as Ethan's Christmas present. She also said that, on the day of the shooting, both parents ignored warnings from a teacher about their son's mental state.
