A jury in the United States has found a parent guilty for the first time of failing to prevent their child from committing a crime. Jennifer Crumbley, 45, is the first parent in the United States to be convicted of manslaughter in connection with her son Ethan’s November 2021 mass shooting.
Who is Jennifer Crumbley, the first US parent to be convicted for her child’s crime?
Jennifer Crumbley is the mother of Ethan Crumbley, a 17-year-old student who went on a shooting spree at Oxford High School in Michigan on November 30, 2021.
The teenager, who was 15 years old at the time of the attack, killed four classmates and injured seven more.
Jennifer was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter for the deaths, each of which, according to the BBC, carries a maximum sentence of fifteen years.
She has been convicted of all four counts and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15th.
This is the first time in American history that parents are standing trial for their child’s crime. Ethan Crumbley’s father, James, 47, is also charged with manslaughter in a separate trial.
The shooter, Ethan, pleaded guilty during his trial and is now serving a life sentence for his crimes
While the mother is the first parent to face trial for their child’s mass shooting, James, the father, will stand trial in March.
The shooter, Ethan, pleaded guilty during his trial and is now serving a life sentence for his crimes.
Despite America’s gun epidemic, a large number of fatal firearms incidents involve young people. As a result, there has been increased pressure to punish parents who, knowingly or unknowingly, allow their children to obtain weapons.
Prosecutors say the tragic shooting could have been avoided if the parents had paid attention.
In her closing arguments, prosecutor Karen McDonald, according to AFP, told the jury that Jennifer failed to “exercise ordinary care when the smallest, tragically simple thing could have prevented it.”
“She could have locked the ammunition. She could have locked the gun,” said McDonald, adding “She could have told the school they had just gifted him a gun.”
“She could have told the school about her son being in crisis previously and asking for help.”