Michigan school shooting suspect Ethan Crumbley is planning on using an insanity defense at trial over the deadly massacre.
Ethan Crumbley, 15, the alleged Oxford High School shooter, will plead insanity, his lawyers said in a court filing on Wednesday.point 222 |
Ethan is charged as an adult with 24 counts including four counts of first-degree murder and one count of terrorism over November 30, 2021, mass shooting at Oxford High School, after he allegedly took a handgun to school and murdered his classmates.point 210 | 1
The filing, signed by his defense attorneys, reads: “Please take notice that pursuant to MCL 769.20a, the Defendant, Ethan Crumbley, intends to assert the defense of insanity at the time of the alleged offense and gives notice of his intention to claim such a defense.”
According to the law, the court will respond to Ethan’s notice by ordering him to undergo a psychiatric evaluation by a qualified professional, who will determine whether they believe he was mentally ill or intellectually disabled at the time of the shooting.
Four students were killed in the attack including Hana St. Juliana, 14, Tate Myre, 16, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Justin Shilling, 17, and seven other people were wounded in what was America’s deadliest school shooting since the Parkland massacre in 2018.
Prior to the shooting, teachers had reported concerning behavior from Crumbley, authorities say, including the fact he was found hours before the killings with a drawing that essentially depicted a shooting.
James and Jennifer Crumbley, Ethan’s parents were arrested days after the shooting and charged with four counts each of involuntary manslaughter, as prosecutors accused them of disregarding signs their son was a threat and giving him easy access to the gun. They have pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors said that James bought the gun used in the rampage just days prior, who say a social media post of Jennifer’s suggests the weapon was purchased as a Christmas gift for their son. The parents allegedly stored the gun in a place to which Ethan had access.
On the morning of the shooting, officials said that a teacher found a drawing of a gun and bullets, as well as a note that allegedly read “the thoughts won’t stop, help me” and “blood everywhere”.
Following this, a meeting was held with Ethan’s parents, school officials, and the teenager himself. His parents reportedly argued to have him go back to class and were told to get him counseling. A few hours later he allegedly opened fire in the school.
Prosecutors claim that Ethan exited a bathroom at the school and proceeded to open fire on his schoolmates in the hallway while they were changing classes. He surrendered to law enforcement when they arrived.
However, local prosecutor Karen McDonald has previously said the sophomore’s mental state should not prevent him from facing the charges, the Detroit Free Press noted.
Prosecutor Mark Keast has recovered evidence that Ethan allegedly killed and tortured animals near and in his home in May 2021 and kept the severed head of a bird in a jar for over 6 months. He also said that the teen’s notebooks also included concerning the content, including entries about how he wanted to shoot guns, shoot up a school, and other dark thoughts.
He explained that Ethan searched online for information about guns and school shootings so much that he started to get spam advertisements regarding guns and mental health.
On Thursday, the families of four Oxford students, including Tate Myre, one of the students killed, filed a lawsuit accusing school staff and Crumbley’s parents of negligence, which is seeking at least $25,000. It was the second lawsuit to be filed against employees of the high school.
The motive for the mass shooting is still not clear. Jennifer and James Crumbley are next due in court on February 8, 2022. Their son, Ethan, will appear on February 22.
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