Ethan Crumbley, the teen suspect in the deadly Oxford High School shooting that left four students dead and several others injured, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to the charges against him. On Nov. 30, Ethan allegedly gunned down four students and wounded several others during a rampage inside his Michigan high school that left the surrounding community devastated.
A defense attorney pleaded on the teen’s behalf during a virtual Oakland County Circuit Court hearing. Ethan, 15, is charged as an adult and remains held without bond.
During Wednesday’s legal proceeding, the 15-year-old remained silent aside from acknowledging that he could hear Judge Kwame Rowe. The case was moved toward trial after Ethan’s attorneys waived his preliminary examination.
A status conference was scheduled for Jan. 19, according to Fox News.
Ethan is charged with first-degree murder and terrorism, in addition to 22 other charges, in connection with the deadly shooting at Oxford High School on Nov. 30, 2021. The students killed were identified as Tate Myre, 16, Hana St. Juliana, 14, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and 15-year-old Justin Shilling.
Ethan’s parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, face four involuntary manslaughter charges each.
James Crumbley purchased a pistol for his son Ethan as a Christmas present days prior to the shooting on Black Friday, prosecutors said, citing a social media post by Jennifer Crumbley.
In addition, the parents failed to pay attention to warning signs about their son’s behavior, including text messages to his mother in which he said he thought “there was a demon or a ghost or someone else inside the home.”
James and Jennifer have pleaded not guilty.
Just hours before the mass shooting, school officials met with Crumbley and his parents to discuss violent drawings and written statements he made. However, they ignored the violent signs and refused to take their son home. Prosecutors said James and his wife breached their responsibility as parents.
On Tuesday, Oxford High School students returned to class in a different building within the school district. The high school is expected to re-open on Jan. 24.
