Ethan Crumbley's parents refused to get him help hours before Michigan school shooting, claims counselor

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN: A counselor testified on Monday, March 11, that the parents of Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley refused to take their son home on the day of the shooting despite seeing his violent drawings and unsettling messages, leaving instead with a list of mental health providers.

The jury saw a photo taken by Oxford High School security cameras of Ethan's father, James Crumbley, holding papers on the premises.

Shawn Hopkins testified in involuntary manslaughter case

The counselor at Oxford High School at the time of the shooting, Shawn Hopkins, was the first person called to testify on March 11. In 2014, he began working for the Oxford School District as an intern, and in 2015, he was hired full-time.

Shawn Hopkins testified, "My hope was that they were going to take him either to get help or even just, 'Let's have a good day. Let’s have a day where we just spend time with you.'”

"I didn't want him left alone," the counselor went on to say, Local10 reported.

The 47-year-old James Crumbley is accused of involuntary manslaughter. He is charged for neglecting to lock up a gun at home and for not recognizing Ethan Crumbley's mental health issues.

The 15-year-old pulled out a pistol from his backpack on November 30, 2021, and shot and killed four students and injured more.

On the third day of the trial, prosecutors first concentrated on the morning of the shooting before moving on to the teen's competency with a firearm.

The Crumbleys were given a drawing on Ethan's math assignment that featured a gun, blood, and a wounded person along with the distressed words, "The thoughts won't stop," and "Help me. My life is useless.”

Hopkins claimed to have set up the Crumbleys' visit to the school and to have met with Ethan ahead of time in an effort to comprehend his perspective. “I can see why this looks bad. I’m not going to do anything” the boy said to him. "I will not act in any way."

“I wanted him to get help as soon as possible, today if possible," Hopkins said. “I was told it wasn’t possible.”

Ethan Hopkins placed in protective custody facility

According to Hopkins' testimony, he informed the parents that he "wanted movement within 48 hours" and that, in the event that they failed to act, he would contact Michigan's child welfare agency.

Just one day prior, the counselor said, a teacher had called Jennifer Crumbley because she saw Ethan searching for bullets on his phone. Ethan wanted to remain in school, according to Hopkins.

Even if the Crumbleys took him home but departed for work, the counselor thought it was a better place for him, especially since he might be alone. “I made the decision I made based on the information I had. I had 90 minutes of information,” Hopkins said.

According to Hopkins, James Crumbley never voiced an objection when his wife refused to let them bring Ethan home.

Furthermore, he claimed that nobody had revealed that, just four days prior, Ethan had bought a new gun that he had posted on social media and called "my beauty." When they talked about the drawing, Hopkins said the father appeared concerned about his son's well-being.

“He was talking to his son and mentioned, ‘You have people you can talk to. You can talk to your counselor, you have your journal. We talk,'" Hopkins recalled. “It felt appropriate at that time, but my concern at that point was there wasn't any action.”

Jurors heard a simple step could have prevented mass shooting

Jurors heard how a simple step could have prevented the mass shooting in 2021. Nick Ejak, in charge of student discipline, said he joked about the heavy weight of the shooter's backpack when he retrieved it from a classroom.

Ejak believed Ethan's mental health was a concern but had no grounds to unzip the bag. Ethan had made multiple visits to shooting ranges with a parent in 2021, including one just three days before the school massacre.

The Crumbleys are the first US parents to be charged with criminal responsibility for a mass school shooting. 

Currently 17 years old, Ethan has been imprisoned for life for the crimes of terrorism and murder.