Teenager Ethan Crumbley pleaded guilty Monday to all 24 charges against him for allegedly perpetrating a massacre at an Oxford, Michigan high school that left four students dead and a tight-knit community reeling.
Crumbley pleaded guilty to charges of terrorism and first-degree murder for the shooting at Oxford High School in November 2021. Crumbley, then a 15-year-old sophomore at the school, shot and killed four of his classmates: Tate Myre, 16; Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Hana St. Juliana, 14; and Justin Shilling, 17, and also injured seven other people.
The Associated Press reported Crumbley showed no emotions when he pleaded guilty, simply replying "yes" when the judge asked if he "knowingly, willfully and deliberately" chose to kill other students.
The charges Crumbley pleaded guilty to typically come with a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole in Michigan. However, even though he was tried as an adult, AP noted that teenagers are entitled to have a lawyer argue for a shorter sentence and the possibility of parole.
Following the shooting, there was a high level of scrutiny placed on Crumbley's parents for their alleged complicity in the attack, and the pair are facing separate manslaughter charges after allegedly purchasing for their son the gun he used to carry out the attack.
While his parents have denied any wrongdoing, USA Today reported that Crumbley dropped a bombshell in court Monday when he revealed the gun was easily accessible and "not locked," contradicting his parents' claim that it was stowed securely.