PONTIAC, Mich. — The mother of the Oxford High School shooter, Jennifer Crumbley, will stand trial first on charges of involuntary manslaughter, following the tragic shooting in November 2021. Along with her husband, James, Jennifer faces four charges of involuntary manslaughter for failing to prevent their son from killing four students at the high school. The victims were Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana, Madisyn Baldwin, and Justin Shilling.
Jury selection for Jennifer’s trial is set to commence on Tuesday, with James’ trial scheduled to begin on March 5. The high-profile nature of the case may extend the jury selection process, and legal experts are expected to closely scrutinize the trials due to potential implications for future school shooter cases.
According to attorney Michael Bullotta, the prosecution needs to demonstrate the Crumbleys’ gross negligence in allowing their son access to a gun, as well as the foreseeability of the tragedy based on the gun and their son’s cries for help. This evidence is crucial to the case and will likely be closely examined during the trials.
Despite the unprecedented nature of involuntary manslaughter charges in a case like this, there have been recent instances where parents of shooters have faced prosecution. In Virginia, a mother was charged after her 6-year-old son used her gun to harm his teacher, while in Illinois, a father faced misdemeanor charges after assisting his son in obtaining a gun that was later used to kill seven people.
The outcome of the Crumbleys’ trials will be closely watched, as it may set a precedent for how future cases involving parents of shooters are handled. The emotional impact of the tragic shooting at Oxford High School, coupled with the legal implications for parental responsibility in such cases, underscores the significance of the upcoming trials.