Craig Shilling: Father of Michigan school shooting victim content with Jennifer Crumbley's 4 involuntary manslaughter convictions
OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN: The father of Justin Shilling, who was gunned down by Ethan Crumbley in the Oxford High School shooting, hopes Jennifer Crumbley's conviction will wake up other parents.
On Tuesday, February 6, Jennifer was convicted of four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the actions of her son, Ethan, who went on a shooting spree at the Michigan school on November 30, 2021, killing four children and injuring seven others.
She is the first parent in the US to be tried in connection to a child carrying out a mass shooting, as per Daily Mail.
As a result of her conviction, Jennifer faces up to 60 years in prison. She is expected to be sentenced on April 9, while her husband, James Crumbley, is scheduled to stand trial in March on similar charges of involuntary manslaughter.
Father of victim says Jennifer Crumbley's conviction is what they have been 'asking for a long time'
After Jennifer was found guilty, Craig Shilling, the father of Justin, one of the four killed in the shooting, said, "The cries have been heard, and I feel this verdict is gonna echo throughout every household in the country," standing outside the courtroom.
He added, "I feel it's necessary, and I'm happy with the verdict. It's still a sad situation to be in. It's gotta stop. It's accountability, and this is what we've been asking for a long time now."
According to the prosecution, Jennifer was required by state law to stop her then-15-year-old son from hurting other people. She was accused of disobeying multiple warnings, failing to receive care for Ethan's mental health, and neglecting to keep a pistol and ammunition at home.
Ethan's mother was given four guilty verdicts, one for each victim of the Oxford High School shooting, once the jury returned after about 11 hours of deliberations.
At the time of the hearing, Jennifer looked down and shook her head slightly as each juror was polled after the verdicts were read.
Jennifer Crumbley went to a firing range with Ethan Crumbley days before the Oxford High School shooting
Staff members of Oxford High School expressed worry on November 30, 2021, after seeing a violent drawing of a gun, bullet, and injured man on Ethan's math homework, along with some frantic words.
Even after attending a meeting at the school, his parents, Jennifer and James, chose not to bring him home.
A few hours later, Ethan pulled out a gun from his backpack and went on to shoot ten students as well as a teacher. The weapon was reportedly the same Sig Sauer 9mm that his father had bought with him only four days before.
That same weekend, Jennifer had also taken Ethan to a shooting range. The evidence of her being the last adult to possess the firearm apparently moved the jury toward finding her guilty on the charges.
