A youngster from Michigan has pled guilty to killing four classmates with a semi-automatic weapon given to him by his father for Christmas.
Ethan Crumbley, age 16, is being tried as an adult on terrorist and first-degree murder charges.
In November 2021, he was 15 years old when he opened fire at Oxford High School, some 30 miles north of Detroit.
The shooter might face a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Monday in a Michigan court, Crumbley pled guilty to 24 crimes, including one act of terrorism, four counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of assault with the purpose of murder, and 12 counts of possession of a handgun.
Terrorist allegation is uncommon in school shooting cases in the United States. Prosecutors stated that they filed the case to recognize the impact the shooting spree had on the entire community.
The shooter admitted that on November 30, 2021, he carried a firearm and ammunition to school in his backpack.
He then loaded the gun in the bathroom before opening fire on employees and pupils in the school hallway with more than thirty rounds.
In the shooting rampage, four children were killed: Tate Myre, 16, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, Hana St Juliana, 14, and Justin Shilling, 17. Six additional pupils and one teacher were injured.
Prosecutors have maintained that the attack was “clearly premeditated,” claiming that the night before the massacre, Crumble discussed killing pupils.
In December 2021, when the accusations were initially publicized, prosecutor Karen McDonald of Oakland County stated, “This was not an act of impulse.”
James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of the gunman, are also charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter.
Four days before the shooting, Crumbley used a semi-automatic weapon that his father had purchased for him as a Christmas present.
Prosecutors have alleged that the parents disregarded warning indications of aggression and did not store their son’s weapon in a secure location. Both have entered not-guilty pleas.
It appears that this is the first case in the United States in which the parents of a child school shooter have also been accused.
The gunman’s attorney stated earlier this year that they will attempt an insanity defense. Instead, he entered a plea of guilty.
Friday, prosecutors stated that no plea bargains, sentence reductions, or sentencing agreements were reached in the case.
In February 2023, the suspect is anticipated to reappear in court, where victims of the shooting will have the opportunity to submit impact statements. At a later date, a sentencing hearing will be held.
