Was James Crumbley remiss in not telling school officials about the handgun he’d purchased a few days before his son, Ethan Crumbley, used it to kill four teens at Oxford High School — and thus bears some criminal responsibility for the deaths?
And are the charges against him also supported by his choice to not take his son home after being told that he needed mental health care — rather than going back to work and leaving the teen at school to carry out the deadly rampage less than two hours later?
As James Crumbley’s manslaughter trial continues in Oakland County Circuit Court, a school counselor and former dean of students testified Monday morning about their dealings with Ethan Crumbley and his parents at the school shortly before the Nov. 30. 2021 mass shooting.
Nick Ejak, Oxford High’s then-dean of students, testified that had he didn’t believe Ethan Crumbley posed a threat that morning and that he had “no reasonable suspicion” to search the teen’s backpack — which contained the 9mm handgun — after retrieving it for him from the classroom where the teen had left it.
Ejak and school counselor Shawn Hopkins met with James and Jennifer Crumbley, along with their son after he raised concerns that morning with violent drawings and disturbing phrases on a school worksheet; he’d also been caught watching a violent video in class on his cell phone and using that phone the day before in class to search ammunition on the internet. The teen needed to see a mental health professional right away, the school staff advised. But when Ethan Crumbley’s parents said they would not be taking him home after the meeting, the teen was allowed to return to class — purportedly with the firearm in his backpack.
Ejak further testified that while he was concerned about the teen’s mental health after learning he had struggled with at-home school instruction due to covid-related restrictions as well as several recent losses — a family member and pet had died, and his friend had moved out of state abruptly — he had no information that led him to believe he needed to alert anyone about a threat from Ethan Crumbley.
“Looking at the big picture today, I knew a fraction of what we know now,” Ejak said. In hindsight, he said, he would’ve looked at the situation “100 percent differently” than he did that day.
Hopkins testified that Ethan Crumbley was exhibiting signs that he needed mental health care — due to marked sadness over what was discussed at the meeting that morning as well as speaking with him the day prior. In calling James and Jennifer Crumbley to the school that morning, Hopkins said his hope was that they’d take their son to get mental health help, and to spend time with him just “having a good day.”
Hopkins said if the Crumbleys didn’t provide proof that they had contacted a mental health professional for their son within 48 hours, he had planned to call Children’s Protective Services.
‘He drew a murder’
Also called to the stand Monday was ATF Special Agent Brett Brandon, one of two officers-in-charge of the shooting investigation, who testified that his impression of Ethan Crumbley’s drawings on his confiscated school worksheet was clear: “He drew the firearm…he drew a murder.”
A shooting victim — not a suicide — is depicted on the worksheet, Brandon believes. And the handgun the shooter sketched was the 9mm Sig Sauer, based on several similarities including the shape of the trigger guard, striations on the back of the firearm, the injection point location and, most notably, the way the magazine curves, he said.
Brandon also testified that the ammunition in the drawing appears to be “pistol caliber” — just like the 50 rounds the shooter is believed to have taken to school, firing nearly three dozen of them.
The purported lack of safety in the handgun’s storage was also testified to, with Brandon saying the cable lock sold with the Sig Sauer was recovered from another firearms storage box located in the Crumbleys’ kitchen — with no indication it had ever been used.
To properly install the table lock takes “under 10 seconds,” Brandon said.
Two other handguns were found in a locked safe in the Crumbley parents’ bedroom, he added.
‘Just got my beauty today’
Brandon also testified about photos Ethan Crumbley posted on social media at his home, showing him just hours after the Sig Sauer was purchased — and indicating it was his firearm.
Among them were photos of the handgun, another of the teen with the firearm, and a third of it pointed toward the floor with the sights lined up, all shown to the jury. Posted with the photos was the text: “Just got my beauty today.”
Other social media posts by Ethan Crumbley show a video of him with another handgun, handling it at home “in an unsafe manner,” Brandon said.
On cross examination by defense attorney Mariell Lehman, Brandon testified there was no evidence James Crumbley knew of the video but it was determined he was in the home at the time. He also testified it’s possible that a cable lock different from the one sold with the Sig Sauer could’ve been used though “there’s no evidence a cable lock was ever installed on the Sig Sauer.” And to his knowledge, no other cable locks were found in the Crumbley home or at Oxford High School.
James Crumbley is charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the murders his son committed at Oxford High School. He’s accused of gross negligence for not getting his son needed mental help and for not preventing the shootings by properly storing the 9mm Sig Sauer handgun his son used to kill Madisyn Baldwin, 17, Tate Myre, 16, Justin Shilling, 17, and Hana St. Juliana, 14, and injure seven others, including one teacher.
Jennifer Crumbley was convicted of the same four involuntary manslaughter charges last month and is awaiting sentencing. So far, all witnesses called to the stand in James Crumbley’s trial testified in Jennifer Crumbley’s trial.
Ethan Crumbley is serving a life sentence after pleading guilty to 24 charges in 2022, though his attorneys indicate an appeal is being planned.
Testimony in James Crumbley’s trial continues Tuesday morning, with Judge Cheryl Matthews presiding.
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