Jailed Parents Of MI School Shooter Can't Attend Son's Sentencing, Judge Rules

PONTIAC, MI — A judge on Friday denied a request from the parents of Oxford school shooter Ethan Crumbley to leave jail and attend their son's December sentencing, according to the Associated Press.

Ethan Crumbley, 17, could be sentenced to life in prison after he opened fire at Oxford High School in November 2021, killing four students and wounding several others.

James and Jennifer Crumbley, who are charged with involuntary manslaughter, have had no contact with their son for nearly two years, though all three are being held at a suburban Detroit jail.

Judge Cheryl Matthews filed the one-page order Friday, according to online case entries in Oakland County court.

In the Crumbleys' request to the judge, defense attorneys said the pair were worried about the "harsh sentence" their son could receive.

"Mr. and Mrs. Crumbley’s concern for their son should be in no way perceived as 'selfish' or a lack of compassion and concern about what has happened to the shooter’s victims, the community, and all who have been affected by the awful tragedy," defense lawyers said, according to a Detroit Free Press report.

The Crumbleys instead could be allowed to watch the hearing online in jail, assistant prosecutor Marc Keast said.

Ethan Crumbley's sentencing comes after he pleaded guilty to 24 counts, including four counts of first-degree premeditated murder and terrorism in the deadly shooting that killed 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 16-year-old Tate Myre, 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin and 17-year-old Justin Shilling.

Jennifer and James Crumbley were each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the shooting. The couple was placed separately in Oakland County Jail, each with a $500,000 bond.

They were denied a bond reduction numerous times. Their trial is expected to start in January 2023 before a lengthy appeals process.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.