How Ethan Crumbley’s parents both have rap sheets with DUIs and could be charged over Oxford High School deaths
ACCUSED Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley's parents both have rap sheets with DUIs and a string of other offenses, The Sun can exclusively reveal.
As reported, the 15-year-old Oxford High School student has been charged as an adult with four counts of first-degree murder, terrorism and assault, after four students were killed and seven others injured, including a teacher.
His parents, Jennifer and James Crumbley, appeared virtually in court on Wednesday, and could also face charges after the teen allegedly used his dad's 9mm semi-automatic handgun that he bought on Black Friday.
Now, The Sun can reveal both adults are no strangers to breaking the law and already have rap sheets of their own after multiple run-ins with the cops in Florida, according to court records.
James, 45, and Jennifer were hit with DUI charges on the same day on February 12, 2005, filings from Duval County Court show, with separate officers dealing with the cases.
It comes as:
- Ethan Crumbley was charged Wednesday with murder and terrorism
- Police said his parents were called to the school before the violence
- Posts appear to show he had a "countdown" to the shooting
- A fourth student died Wednesday following Tuesday's rampage
- Police say the suspect's father bought the gun used on Friday
- A deer's head was left on school grounds weeks before shooting
They pleaded no contest and were fined $652.50 each.
James was also previously fined more than $200 the same year after being busted by Atlantic Beach Police Department for driving without a license and having an improper tag.
His wife was accused of writing a worthless check for $150 in 2003 but the case was later thrown out.
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She was then accused of the same offense in 2004 and had to pay a fine of $240, according to court records.
The couple are said to have both worked in business development and marketing before moving to Washington state and then Michigan.
James was recently in legal trouble again in Florida over child-support payments involving an ex, according to court records from Duval County seen by The Sun.
His last employer, a San Francisco-based company called Monarch that provides GPS tracking to the transportation industry, said he was recently fired, but would not disclose why.
They said he "briefly worked... as an independent contractor from February to July 2021" and "was terminated for reasons unrelated to this incident," according to the Daily Beast.
The couple may now be charged over the deaths of the Oxford High School students, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald told reporters on Wednesday.
She described her interactions with Mr and Mrs Crumbley as "difficult," and said: "We know owning a gun means securing it properly locked up and keeping ammunition separate and not allowing access to other individuals especially minors.
"We are considering charges against both parents and we will be making a decision swiftly."
In an interview with Good Morning America, she also said there was “strong evidence to suggest there was gross negligence".
'SON USED DAD'S GUN'
She explained: "Because with the right to gun ownership also brings responsibilities and the details that surround the access to that gun by mom and dad will be released very soon.
"But yes, we're considering very serious charges. It goes far beyond negligence of a parent, let me just put it that way."
If charged, it would be the first time in history for the parents of a school shooter, according to reports.
But it could be tough for prosecutors, as there is currently no Michigan law which requires gun owners keep weapons locked away from children.
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said their son was previously pulled up by administrators for "behavior in the classroom that they felt was concerning."
He was called in to talk to officials and on the morning of Wednesday's shooting, his parents were brought in for a face-to-face meeting at Oxford High.
Lieutenant Tim Willis said law enforcement searched Ethan's home and found "two separate videos recovered from Ethan's cellphone."
Speaking to Judge Nancy Carniak during his arraignment, Willis said the videos were "made by him the night before the incident, wherein he talked about shooting and killing students the next day at Oxford High School."
Authorities also found his backpack and a journal "detailing his desire to shoot up the school, to include murdering students," Willis said.
No information about a possible motive has yet been released by investigators, however, speculation has been rife that Ethan was bullied in school.
Tenth grader Nathan Swanson, who went to middle school with Ethan, told that the teen was "really quiet, he would never talk to people."
"He wore all black, I believe he was really into hunting," he added to the outlet.
Ethan and his parents quickly invoked their right to remain silent and retained a lawyer after the shooting, The Sun previously revealed.
The teen, who has pleaded not guilty, will be transferred from a juvenile detention center to Oakland County's adult jail, where he'll be sequestered and put under suicide watch.
Meanwhile, his mom Jennifer previously penned a bizarre open letter to former President Donald Trump that revealed her son "struggles" at school.
MOM'S LETTER TO TRUMP
She uploaded the letter to her blog in November 2016, thanking then-President-elect for "allowing my right to bear arms" and pleading with him to "end Common Core."
"As a female and a Realtor, thank you for allowing my right to bear arms," the letter read. "Allowing me to be protected if I show a home to someone with bad intentions. Thank you for respecting that Amendment."
Jennifer also bemoaned Obamacare doubling her family's insurance premiums, writing the Crumbleys were "good f**king Americans that cannot get ahead.
"And what makes me sick, is people that come over here from other countries and get free everything," she added.
In the corresponding passage, Jennifer asked Trump to "stop common core", which is a set of educational standards for teaching and testing English and math between kindergarten and 12th grade.
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"You see Mr. Trump, I need you to stop common core. My son struggles daily, and my teachers tell me they hate teaching it but the [sic] HAVE to. Their pay depends on these stupid f**king test scores.
"I have to pay for a Tutor, why? Because I can’t figure out 4th-grade math. I used to be good at math. I can’t afford a Tutor, in fact I sacrifice car insurance to make sure my son gets a good education and hopefully succeeds in life."
