Michigan school shooting victims face Ethan Crumbley in court, judge sentences him to life

PONTIAC, Mich. (TND) — Victims of Michigan Oxford High School shooting suspect Ethan Crumbley spoke in court Friday before the judge sentenced him to life in prison. A restitution payment of more than $20,000 was also ordered.

Crime victims in Michigan have a right to speak in court, and Judge Kwame Rowe repeatedly acknowledged the tension, emotions and despair during the final hearing in Pontiac, Michigan.

“Your statements,” Rowe said, “do not fall on deaf ears."

Crumbley, now 17, took a guilty plea in October 2022 for all 24 charges against him related to the mass shooting.

He was 15 years old on Nov. 30, 2021, when he opened fire inside Oxford High School, killing four students and wounding seven others.

Moments before learning his fate, the teen apologized and appeared to agree with his victims that the stiffest punishment was appropriate.

Any sentence that they ask for, I ask that you do impose it on me,” the shooter said. “I want them to be happy, and I want them to feel secure and safe. I do not want them to worry another day. I really am sorry for what I’ve done. ... But I can try my best in the future to help other people, and that is what I will do.”

“We are miserable. We miss Tate,” said Buck Myre, the father of Tate Myre. “Our family has a permanent hole in it that can never be fixed — ever.”

Jill Soave, the mother of Justin Shilling, told the shooter that he executed a boy who could have helped him navigate awkward teenage years.

“If you were that lonely, that miserable and lost, and you really needed a friend. Justin would have been your friend — if only you had asked,” Soave said.

Nicole Beausoleil recalled seeing the body of her daughter, Madisyn Baldwin, at the medical examiner's office, her hand with blue-painted fingernails sticking out from a covering.

“I looked though the glass. My scream should have shattered it,” Beausoleil said.

His parents, Jennifer and James Crumbley, are charged with involuntary manslaughter and have had no contact with their son for nearly two years. Both are accused of contributing to the shooting by making a gun accessible to their son at home and ignoring his mental health needs.

On the day of the shooting, Crumbley and his parents met with school staff after a teacher noticed a violent drawing with a gun pointing at the words: "The thoughts won't stop. Help me." There was an image of a bullet with the message: "Blood everywhere."

His parents declined to take him home but were told he needed to be in counseling within 48 hours, according to investigators.

Shortly after, he went into a bathroom, pulled out a 9mm Sig Sauer handgun and began shooting. Within minutes, deputies rushed in and he surrendered without resistance.

During questioning, Crumbley admitted he used his own money to purchase the gun, which his father bought for him on Nov. 26, a few days before the shooting.

Attorney Ven Johnson, who represents the Myres, Gregorys, Shillings and Alianos in an ongoing civil lawsuit related to the shooting, made this statement:

Today signifies a pivotal step towards justice for our clients and all survivors, forever changed by the abhorrent actions of the shooter during the Oxford High School shooting—an incident that should have been prevented by those entrusted to protect these children. Despite the two-year delay, the gravity of the situation endures, and this sentencing is a crucial stride towards accountability. We wholeheartedly support Judge Kwame Rowe's decision to condemn him to life in prison without parole. Our dedication to pursuing justice stands resolute — our work to keep Oxford Community Schools and various OCS employees accountable will persist.”

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Editor's note: The Associated Press and WPBN/WGTU contributed to this article.

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