Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of the Michigan teenager who shot and killed four students and wounded seven other people at Oxford High School, has been found guilty on all four counts of involuntary manslaughter for her role in the 2021 shooting. The jury of six men and six women reached its decision on its second day of deliberations.
In December, Crumbley's 17-year-old son was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the shooting. He previously pleaded guilty to 24 charges, including first-degree murder and terrorism.
During Jennifer Crumbley’s trial, prosecutors pointed to evidence that she should have been aware of her son's mental state and actions prior to the shooting. The defense argued that she had no idea her son was planning the attack and could not have foreseen his actions.
SEE MORE: Mother of Oxford school shooter testifies in manslaughter trial
However, the shooter's personal journal that was recovered on the day of the shooting depicted a darker story. It detailed the shooter's struggles with mental health, contained repeated entries indicating his intent to shoot up the school, and dozens of pages with drawings of guns. Similar drawings ultimately landed the shooter in the counselor's office on the day of the attack, but a counselor who testified in the trial said the Crumbleys refused to take their son home when they were notified.
The shooter's father, James Crumbley, is also scheduled to stand trial next month on the same charges as his wife. They both face up to 15 years behind bars.
The Crumbleys are believed to be the first parents of a school shooter to stand trial on allegations that they caused their son's actions through gross negligence or by willfully disregarding the threat he posed to others by failing to act on signs that he may be dangerous.
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