'You Did Not Destroy Us:' Oxford School Shooting Victims Speak Before Sentencing

PONTIAC, MI — The shooter who killed four students and wounded seven other people at Oxford High School in November 2021 will be sentenced to prison, and a judge will decide if he will serve life.

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.

Dozens of people were expected to speak before Judge Kwame Rowe during the sentencing hearing for Ethan Crumbley Friday inside a Pontiac courtroom.

Nicole Beausoleil, the mother of Madisyn Baldwin, was the first person to speak.

"Nov. 30, 2021, is a day that has forever changed my life. It burns into my body like a cigarette burn," Beausoleil said. "A life that was so young and full of life. After that day, she became a statistic, a victim, a planned act of tragedy."

Beausoleil went on to say she believes the shooter's actions will haunt him for the rest of his life.

"The suffering will come when he least expects it. The regret will consume you as you sit alone with only voices in your head. Guilt will eat away at your soul," Beausoleil said. "When these emotions flood into your body, like you’re bleeding out, no one will be there to save you. No one will forgive you."

Buck Myre, Tate's father, said he will not let the shooter rob him and his family of normalcy.

"Believe me, we will never forget about you, ever. We want you to spend the rest of your life rotting in your cell. What you stole from us is not replaceable. But what we won’t let you steal from us is a life of normalcy, and we’ll find a way to get there through forgiveness and putting good in this world," Buck Myre said.

Jill Soave, the mother of Justin Shilling, also asked the judge to sentence the shooter to life in prison without parole.

"You may have ended Justin’s life on this planet, but you did not in any way affect his soul," Soave said. "You don’t have the power to do that. You may have caused the pain and terror, as you intended to do, but you did not destroy us."

Hana St. Juliana’s father, Steve, said there can be no forgiveness or rehabilitation for the shooter.

"He chose this course of action and carried out these murders simply to make himself feel better," he said. "There is absolutely nothing that the defendant can ever to do earn my forgiveness. His age plays no part. His potential is irrelevant. Ultimately, it is only his choices and his actions that matter. Actions that have consequences that can never be undone. There is utterly nothing that he could ever do to contribute to society to make up for the lives that he has so ruthlessly taken."

Crumbley, 17, pleaded guilty to all 24 felony charges against him, including four counts of first-degree murder and one count of terrorism in the deadly shooting. It's possible victim impact statements can last a few days, meaning Crumbley won't be sentenced until all statements are read.

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.