Mother of Mich. School Shooter Found Guilty of Manslaughter

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The Facts

  • Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of a Michigan teenager who shot and killed four classmates at Oxford High School, was found guilty on Monday of involuntary manslaughter in connection with her son Ethan’s shooting.

  • Crumbley is the first US parent to be convicted over a child's mass shooting. Prosecutors claim she ignored clear warning signs from Ethan and acted criminally negligent by allowing him to have a gun at 15 years old. Ethan, now 17, is serving a lifetime sentence for his Nov. 30, 2021, massacre.

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The Spin

Narrative A

The jury made the morally and legally correct decision to hold Jennifer Crumbley criminally responsible for her son's shooting, sending a message that parents must be diligent in monitoring their children's behavior. While Crumbley might not be a cold-blooded murderer herself, she should have been able to tell that her son was not in a secure mental state, yet she opted to buy him a gun instead of getting him the help he needed.

New York Times

Narrative B

While some gun violence activists may celebrate Jennifer Crumbley's guilty verdict, the jury's decision could have a chilling effect on parents and gun ownership going forward. Even if Crumbley sets a new standard for criminal negligence related to a child's mass shooting, her conviction may set a new legal liability for parents. This could disproportionately impact lower-income families while not addressing the root causes of gun violence.

Boston University

Metaculus Prediction