OXFORD school shooter Ethan Crumbley's dad has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter after his son shot and killed four students.
James Crumbley's fate was sealed on Thursday night after prosecutors argued he could have prevented the Oxford High School massacre carried out by his son in November 2021.
The guilty verdicts were given at around 7:15 p.m. after roughly 11 hours of deliberations in Oakland County court, Michigan.
James Crumbley, who was listening via headphones due to a hearing problem, could be seen shaking his head as the jury foreman said "guilty" four times for each of the victims.
A sheriff’s deputy could then be seen shackling the dad at the waist before returning him to jail.
James, 47, and Ethan's mom Jennifer, 45, became the first parents in the US to be charged in a mass school shooting committed by their child after they were accused of failing to secure a gun at home and doing nothing to help their son's mental turmoil.
County prosecutor Karen McDonald insisted Thursday's outcome does "not bring back" the students who lost their lives but does "mark a moment of accountability and will hopefully be another step to address and end gun violence."
Defense attorney Mariell Lehman also told The Associated Press that James Crumbley "feels terrible."
"While we are disappointed with the verdict, we know that the jury had a very difficult task in front of them," she said.
James Crumbley is due to be sentenced along with Ethan's mom Jennifer on April 9.
Jennifer Crumbley was convicted of four counts of involuntary manslaughter last month.
They each face a possible minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Ethan Crumbley was 15 when he killed four students and wounded six students plus one teacher at Oxford High School with a SIG Sauer 9mm on November 30, 2021.
His victims were Madisyn Baldwin, 16, Tate Myre, 16, Justin Shilling, 17, and Hana St. Juliana, 14.
Some of their family members could be seen tearfully watching from the court room as the verdicts were given on Thursday.
It came after a number of text messages sent from Ethan's phone were read out during the trial, including one where the teen had asked for his father's help before the shooting.
During a text exchange with a friend in April 2021, Ethan said he asked his father "to take me to the doctor but he just gave me some pills and told me to suck it up."
Another text read, "I need help. I was thinking of calling 911 so I could go to the hospital but then my parents would be really p***ed."
Prosecutors argued that there was "gross negligence" involved.
IGNORING SIGNS
James took Ethan to the shooting range a year before the shooting which helped the teen learn how to properly use a gun, according to prosecutors.
“He did nothing over and over and over again,” prosecutor Karen McDonald said on Wednesday.
Ethan was gifted the gun he used in the shooting as a Christmas present from his parents and was too young to legally own a gun in the state.
The parents were aware that Ethan was having mental health struggles, ignored his claims for help, and still gave him a gun.
On the morning of the shooting, James was made aware by the school of a drawing Ethan made on a worksheet that included a gun and a person bleeding with a note that said, “The thoughts won’t stop, help me.”
Prosecutors argued that James did not take “reasonable care” to prevent Ethan from acting out.
“James Crumbley is not on trial for what his son did,” Oakland County Prosecuting Attorney Karen McDonald said.
“James Crumbley is on trial for what he did and what he didn’t do.”
Defense attorney Mariell Lehman said the prosecution's case is based on “assumptions and hindsight.”
Lehman argued that there was not enough evidence to prove James was guilty but it was decided otherwise.
“You heard no testimony and you saw no evidence that James had any knowledge that his son was a danger to anyone,” Lehman said.
Ethan’s mother was convicted in early February and prosecutors argued that she had multiple opportunities to prevent Ethan from shooting students at his school.
"It's a rare case that takes some really egregious facts. It takes the unthinkable, and she has done the unthinkable, and because of that, four kids have died," McDonald said during her closing arguments for Jennifer's case.
CRIES FOR HELP
Ethan had a notebook that included several disturbing messages about wanting to kill.
The notebook included a picture of a girl with a gun up to her head along with a note about wanting to make her suffer.
The note said, “The first victim has to be a pretty girl with a future so she can suffer just like me.”
Another note included a drawing of a gun and people shot with blood.
Ethan also cried for help and told his mother that he wanted to see a therapist.
