Oxford School Shooter Sentencing Hearing Starts Friday: What To Expect

PONTIAC, MI — Ethan Crumbley will face sentencing Friday for fatally shooting four students and wounding seven other people at Oxford High School in November 2021.

The hearing inside a Pontiac courtroom is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. but it's unknown exactly how long it might last, because dozens of families are expected to give victim impact statements.

Since Crumbley was charged with terrorism, Oakland County Judge Kwame Rowe said there are roughly 2,000 victims in connection to the shooting, and Michigan law requires they have the opportunity to speak at the hearing. Victims can also provide a written statement, which will be attached to Crumbley's record and may factor into a parole decision.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys will also give their final statements at the hearing.

Since the court has not publicly shared how many people will speak, or how much time they’ll be given to speak, it's unknown how long the hearing could last. In other words, Crumbley may not be officially sentenced Friday.

The four students killed in the shooting were 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 16-year-old Tate Myre, 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin and 17-year-old Justin Shilling.

In September, Rowe ruled that Crumbley could face the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole. The ruling came during a unique hearing, known as a Miller Hearing, which was necessary because he was charged as a minor with first-degree murder, which carries an automatic life-sentence without parole in Michigan.

By law, a judge is required to review the case by law to determine if Crumbley's age, 17, plays a role in the sentencing. Crumbley was 15 at the time of the Nov. 30, 2021 shooting.

Crumbley pleaded guilty to 24 counts, including four counts of first-degree premeditated murder and terrorism, in connection to the deadly shooting.

Crumbley's parents, Jennifer and James Crubmley, were each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the deadly Oxford school shooting. They are being held in the Oakland County Jail with a $500,000 bond each. If convicted, they face up to 15 years in prison.

The couple is the first set of parents charged in connection to a deadly school shooting.

After standing in courtrooms together for nearly two years, the couple requested to be tried separately. An Oakland County judge granted that request. Their trial is expected to start on Jan. 23, 2024.