Opening statements began Thursday in the manslaughter trial of James Crumbley, the father of the teenager who killed four students at a Michigan high school in 2021, in a case that comes just weeks after his wife, Jennifer, was convicted of the same charges.
James Crumbley has pleaded not guilty to four counts of involuntary manslaughter in the November 30, 2021, mass shooting at Oxford High School, in which his son Ethan killed four students and wounded six students and a teacher. James faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
The jury selection process took place Tuesday and Wednesday as attorneys asked potential jurors whether they could be fair and impartial in the high-profile trial and questioned their beliefs about guns, parenting and mental health.
A jury made up of six men and nine women was ultimately selected, and the judge will randomly divide the group into 12 jurors and three alternates prior to deliberations.
In bringing involuntary manslaughter charges, prosecutors have used an unusual and novel legal strategy by arguing the shooter’s parents are responsible for the deaths because they purchased a gun for their son and disregarded signs of his mental health issues.
The prosecution’s strategy represents an attempt to expand the scope of blame in mass shootings. While parents have previously faced liability for their child’s actions – such as with neglect or firearms charges – Jennifer Crumbley’s case was the first time a parent of a school shooter was held directly responsible for the killings.
