Michigan school shooter's mother displays emotional distress during her trial

A mother, Jennifer Crumbley, is currently on trial for being the first US parent charged with failing to prevent her son's deadly school shooting. The incident occurred at Oxford High School in Michigan in 2021, where her son killed four classmates. Mrs. Crumbley, aged 45, is facing a charge of involuntary manslaughter, while her husband, James Crumbley, is also facing trial on similar charges. If convicted, they could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison. During the attacker's trial last year, his lawyers argued that he had been neglected by his parents and suffered from mental illness. However, he later admitted that his parents were unaware of his plans and that he was solely responsible for the shooting. The trial began on Thursday, and Mrs. Crumbley became emotional as jurors watched CCTV footage of the attack captured by a school security camera. Prosecutor Karen McDonald objected to the defendant and her attorney showing their emotions in court, as the judge had requested emotional control throughout the trial. Mrs. Crumbley's lawyer, Shannon Smith, denied that they were sobbing or causing a scene and stated that Mrs. Crumbley still had her eye makeup intact. The defense team argues that she is being unfairly blamed since she could not have predicted her son's actions. During her opening statement, Ms. Smith quoted Taylor Swift's song "Bad Blood" to emphasize her defense, claiming that charging Jennifer Crumbley with involuntary manslaughter would not address the underlying issues. She accused the prosecutors of charging her client to make the community feel better, hold someone accountable, and send a message to gun owners. However, the state's lawyers argued that the case is not centered on parenting skills or gun rights. Prosecutor Marc Keast informed the jury that while Jennifer Crumbley did not pull the trigger, she bears responsibility for the deaths. He clarified that the trial is not about determining good or bad parenting since being a bad parent is not illegal. According to the prosecution, Mr. and Mrs. Crumbley provided their son with the murder weapon as a Christmas gift and failed to provide him with the necessary mental health support. The defense has placed blame on Mr. Crumbley, alleging that he was responsible for securely storing the gun at home. Both parents attempted to flee after being charged with manslaughter but were eventually found hiding in a Detroit warehouse basement. Their lawyers assert that they left home for their safety and had intended to surrender later. On the first day of the trial, three witnesses testified, including the school principal, a teacher who survived the attack, and an employee from the gun shop where the killer and his father purchased the handgun. Prior to the shooting, the boy, who was 15 at the time, had drawings that raised concerns among school officials. His parents were called to the school to discuss the drawings but left after an 11-minute meeting, with none of the adults checking his backpack where the gun was stored. The boy was subsequently sent back to class.