Michigan shooter's dad guilty of manslaughter
James Crumbley failed to prevent his son from killing four students at Oxford High School in 2021


What happened
A jury in Oakland County, Michigan, late Thursday found James Crumbley, 47, guilty of involuntary manslaughter for failing to prevent his teenage son from killing four fellow students at Oxford High School in 2021. His wife, Jennifer Crumbley, was found guilty on identical charges in February.
Who said what
"James Crumbley is not on trial for what his son did," but what Crumbley "didn't do," notably taking the "tragically small measure" of securing his handgun, prosecutor Karen McDonald said. Prosecutors provided "no evidence that James had any knowledge that his son was a danger to anyone," said Crumbley's lawyer Mariell Lehman.
The commentary
The Crumbley trials "became a lightning rod" in a "national effort to hold some parents responsible for enabling deadly violence by their children," The New York Times said. Since their arrests, shooters' "parents in other states have pleaded guilty to charges of reckless conduct or neglect."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
Jennifer and James Crumbley are scheduled to be sentenced on April. Each faces up to 10 years in prison. Their son is serving a life sentence without parole.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
AI is creating a luxury housing renaissance in San Francisco
Under the Radar Luxury homes in the city can range from $7 million to above $20 million
-
How carbon credits could help and hurt the climate
The explainer The credits could be allowing polluters to continue polluting
-
5 tips for building a healthy skincare routine for tweens and teens
The Week Recommends Social media is pushing overly elaborate routines for young skin
-
Sniper kills 2 Idaho firefighters in ambush
Speed Read A man started a wildfire, then fired a rifle at first responders when they arrived
-
Weinstein convicted of sex crime in retrial
Speed Read The New York jury delivered a mixed and partial verdict at the disgraced Hollywood producer's retrial
-
'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside home
speed read Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband
-
DOJ, Boulder police outline attacker's confession
speed read Mohamed Sabry Soliman planned the attack for a year and 'wanted them all to die'
-
Assailant burns Jewish pedestrians in Boulder
speed read Eight people from the Jewish group were hospitalized after a man threw Molotov cocktails in a 'targeted act of violence'
-
Driver rams van into crowd at Liverpool FC parade
speed read 27 people were hospitalized following the attack
-
2 Israel Embassy staff shot dead at DC Jewish museum
speed read The suspected gunman chanted 'free, free Palestine'
-
Bombing of fertility clinic blamed on 'antinatalist'
speed read A car bombing injured four people and damaged a fertility clinic and nearby buildings in Palm Springs, California