In the United States, the parents of a school shooter who killed four teenagers and wounded eight others with a pistol given to him were sentenced to 15 years in prison.
A Michigan court in Oakland County on April 9 found the father and mother of a mentally challenged teenage shooter guilty of manslaughter because, according to the judges, they could have prevented the tragedy. writes D.W. Jennifer and James Crumbley will spend 15 years behind bars, but under certain conditions they will be able to be released earlier – in ten years.
A tragic incident occurred in 2021, four schoolchildren were shot and killed at a school in Oxford, Michigan. During the trial, the shooter's mother, Jennifer Crumbley, admitted that a few days before the crime, her husband bought her son a Sig Sauer 9 mm pistol as a gift for the upcoming Christmas. The next day his mother went with him to the shooting range.
On the day of the attack – November 30, 2021 – parents were called to the school after images of murder were found on a 15-year-old teenager and were advised to send their son to a psychologist, but they refused to take him home. A little later, Ethan Crumbley went to the toilet and returned with a gun in his hand. He killed four students aged 14-17 and wounded seven others. The 15-year-old shooter surrendered to police.
Judge Cheryl Matthews accuses the couple of ignoring repeated warnings from the school about their son's mental problems. The court ruling said parents cannot be expected to “read the minds” of their children, but the tragedy could have been prevented by their actions and failure to do others. The cases of both spouses were considered in two separate trials, but the verdict was announced jointly. This is the first time in the United States that parents have been found guilty of manslaughter in such a case.
In 2023, 17-year-old Ethan Crumbley was found guilty on 24 counts and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
In 2022, minor tightening amendments were made to US legislation. According to the Gun Violence Archive portal, almost 19 thousand people died as a result of gun violence in 2023.
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