Michigan
Facing likely prison sentences, Michigan school shooter's parents seek mercy from judge
PONTIAC, Mich. — The parents of a Michigan school shooter are asking a judge to keep them out of prison as they face sentencing for their role in an attack that killed four students in 2021.
Jennifer and James Crumbley are scheduled to appear in court Tuesday for the close of a pioneering case: They are the first parents convicted in a U.S. mass school shooting.
The Crumbleys did not know their son, Ethan Crumbley, was planning the shooting at Oxford High School. But prosecutors said the parents failed to safely store a gun and could have prevented the shooting by removing the 15-year-old from school when confronted with his dark drawing that day.
Prosecutors are seeking at least 10 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter.
Defense attorney Shannon Smith said Jennifer Crumbley is “not a threat to the community.” Smith said she is even willing to put Jennifer Crumbley up in a guest house at her property, outfitted with an electronic tether.
“Putting Mrs. Crumbley in prison does nothing to further deter others from committing like offenses,” Smith said in a court filing. “There is no person who would want the events of Nov. 30, 2021, to repeat themselves.”
Smith said “any gross negligence” were mistakes “that any parent could make.”
Mariell Lehman, a lawyer representing James Crumbley, said the nearly 2 1/2 years spent in jail since the couple’s arrest is enough time in custody. His wife, too, has been in jail, both unable to post a $500,000 bond before trial.
James Crumbley “did not believe that there was reason to be concerned that his son was a threat to anyone,” Lehman said.
Ethan Crumbley, now 17, pleaded guilty and is serving a life prison sentence.
Prosecutors said “tragically simple actions” by both parents could have stopped the catastrophe.
The couple had separate trials in Oakland County court, 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of Detroit. Jurors heard how the teen had drawn a gun, a bullet and a gunshot victim on a math assignment, accompanied by grim phrases: “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me. My life is useless. Blood everywhere.”
Ethan told a counselor he was sad — a grandmother had died and his only friend suddenly had moved away — but said the drawing only reflected his interest in creating video games.
The Crumbleys attended a meeting at the school that lasted less than 15 minutes. They did not mention that the gun resembled one James Crumbley, 47, had purchased just four days earlier — a Sig Sauer 9 mm that Ethan had described on social media as his “beauty.”
His parents declined to take him home, choosing instead to return to work and accepting a list of mental health providers. School staff said Ethan could stay on campus. A counselor, Shawn Hopkins, said he believed it would be safer for the boy than possibly being alone at home.
No one, however, checked Ethan’s backpack. He pulled the gun out later that day and killed four students — Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana, Justin Shilling and Madisyn Baldwin — and wounded seven other people.
There was no trial testimony from specialists about Ethan’s state of mind. But the judge, over defense objections, allowed the jury to see excerpts from his journal.
“I have zero help for my mental problems and it’s causing me to shoot up the … school,” he wrote. “I want help but my parents don’t listen to me so I can’t get any help.”
Asked about Ethan reporting hallucinations months before the shooting, Jennifer Crumbley, 46, told jurors he was simply “messing around.”
At the close of James Crumbley’s trial, prosecutor Karen McDonald demonstrated how a cable lock, found in a package at home, could have secured the gun.
“Ten seconds,” she said, “of the easiest, simplest thing.”
___
Follow Ed White at X at https://twitter.com/edwritez
Michigan football coach Kyle Whittingham talks spring practice
Michigan football coach Kyle Whittingham talks spring practice at Schembechler Hall in Ann Arbor on Thursday, April 9, 2026.
This is part three of a three-part series ranking Michigan football’s toughest games in the 2026 season, the first under new coach Kyle Whittingham. Part 1 and part 2 can be found here.
No. 4: Oklahoma (Sept. 12, noon, Fox)
The first evidence that Michigan football’s 2025 campaign might not be what fans hoped came Week 2 in Norman, Oklahoma, when the Wolverines lost 24-13 in Bryce Underwood’s first road start. While the game is at home this year, the Sooners’ trip to Ann Arbor in the second week of the year will likely be telling about which way the season is headed.
Oklahoma had the No. 17 transfer portal class in the country this past offseason, per 247Sports, bringing in 16 players from schools like Texas, Florida, Tennessee and even Michigan. Linebacker Cole Sullivan leaving for OU to take a spot in the middle of Brent Venables’ defense was perhaps the biggest portal loss the Wolverines suffered all offseason.
On offense, wide receivers Parker Livingstone (Texas) and Trell Harris (Virginia) and tight end Jack Van Dorselaer (Tennessee) are three more weapons for an Oklahoma offense looking to take the next step.
One reason to believe it will is the return of quarterback John Mateer, who carved Michigan up last season and is the key to another solid Oklahoma team. Mateer threw for 270 yards, ran for 74 and accounted for all three touchdowns in Oklahoma’s win over Michigan before an injury sidelined him for the middle portion of the season and slowed him the rest of the way as he fought through it.
Oklahoma came in at No. 9 on The Athletic’s top-25 rankings after spring ball and is a notably difficult test, particularly so early in the season.
No. 3: Indiana (Oct. 24, kickoff time TBD)
The only reason Indiana is not higher on this list is because Michigan gets the game in Ann Arbor.
Outside of that, this is going to be an absolute battle. The defending national champion Hoosiers lost eight starters to the NFL this past season, including No. 1 overall pick and Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, but have once again reloaded under Curt Cignetti, who has orchestrated the greatest turnaround the sport has ever seen.
In come quarterback Josh Hoover (TCU), running back Turbo Richard (Boston College) and wide receiver Nick Marsh (Michigan State) to restock the offensive supply and pair with wideout Charlie Becker. On defense, the Hoosiers return defensive tackle Tyrique Tucker, linebackers Isaiah Jones and Rolijah Hardy and corner Jamari Sharpe.
Hoover is yet another proven quarterback, coming to Bloomington after four years at TCU and enters as the nation’s leader in career passing yards (9,629). Hoover ran the second most RPO’s of any quarterback last year, behind only Mendoza, so he appears to fit the scheme.
According to CBS Sports, Indiana’s roster is No. 8 in cumulative FBS snaps played (30,540) and No. 4 in FBS level starts (462), so this should be a veteran group playing for a scheme that’s proven to work. An argument could be made this is U-M’s toughest game.
No. 2: at Oregon (Nov. 14, kickoff time TBD)
Michigan makes its first trip to Autzen Stadium as Big Ten foes − the only remaining stadium in the league it has not played as league opponents is UCLA in the Rose Bowl − against an Oregon side that has, per usual, reloaded.
It started with the decision of former five-star quarterback out of Detroit King, Dante Moore, who opted to spurn the NFL where he was expected to be a top-five draft pick, to return for one more year in the NCAA ranks. He will be buoyed by Evan Stewart, one of the top wide receivers in the country, who returns after missing the 2025 season with a torn patellar tendon in his knee.
There are new faces leading both the offense and the defense after last year’s offensive coordinator, Will Stein, took the head coach job at Kentucky and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi took over as head coach of California. Dan Lanning opted to keep a semblance of continuity and promote from within for both positions, with Drew Mehringer now leading the attack and Chris Hampton in charge of the defense.
Oregon brought in 13 players through the portal this year including a pair of Big Ten defensive standouts in cornerback Aaron Scott Jr. (Ohio State) and safety Koi Perich (Minnesota).
Oregon made the CFP national semifinal last season before it was routed by Indiana (both of Oregon’s losses last season came to the Hoosiers) and now appears poised to get back to the playoffs at the very least.
This is just about as tough as games come.
No. 1: at Ohio State (Nov. 28, noon, Fox)
As if there was any doubt about who would finish off this list, it is of course the Buckeyes.
Ohio State led the way with 11 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, which included four first-rounders and three second-rounders, but the NFL factory in Columbus, simply reloads every offseason. OSU returns its starting quarterback, Julian Sayin, running back Bo Jackson and the undisputed top wide receiver in the country, Jeremiah Smith.
They also brought in a number of stars from the portal in running back Ja’Kobi Jackson (Florida), edge Qua Russaw (Alabama) and defensive backs Earl Little Jr. (Florida State) and Dominick Kelly (Georgia), not to mention five-star freshman wide receiver Chris Henry Jr.
OSU landed the No. 2 freshman class in the nation and the No. 7 portal haul in the country as the Buckeyes, who were stunned by Miami in the national semifinal, look to get back to the national championship for the second time in three seasons.
Michigan has won the past two games in Columbus − a 45-23 pummeling in 2022 and then a 13-10 stunner for the ages in 2024 − but have not won three straight games at OSU since doing so from 1986-90 under Bo Schembechler and Gary Moeller.
All eyes, as always, will be on this game and there’s a decent chance (like last season) U-M will be playing for a spot in the CFP with this game deciding its fate.
Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
Michigan’s state parks remind us that beauty was and always will be a part of our state. They alone account for one-third of all nature-based recreation. In them, people can connect with the freest parts of themselves while plants and wildlife thrive freely in their natural habitats.
I remember climbing down a hill on the far side of Sleeping Bear Dunes, taking a moment to look out at the water before attempting the famous climb back up. The boats I saw on the water looked more like pirate ships in my memory after climbing through what felt like a desert. The view has remained one of my mind’s strongest memories of nature.
Access to nature comes with responsibility, yet the parks are not being well-maintained. Roads around them are collapsing, and it is not uncommon to find a trail closure or two or even sewage spilling in certain areas.
This doesn’t have to be the case. This July, state leaders have the opportunity to pass a more park-friendly budget that can increase funding for the parks and begin chipping away at the $748 million deferred maintenance backlog. With a little more love, our state parks can serve for generations to come as shining examples of nature’s beauty, just as they did for me.
Zach Hogan
Bloomfield Hills
Two more weekends remain for colleges to host recruits for official visits.
Michigan State had bigger groups on campus for the first two weekends, so this week’s list is not as large in quantity.
Roswell (Georgia) Blessed Trinity Catholic defensive back Noah Willis will be making his first trip to East Lansing. Willis was only offered by the Spartans in mid-May, but they quickly found a home on his official visit schedule.
The 6-foot, 170-pound Willis can play outside corner or slot corner. Kansas State and Cincinnati already have hosted him, and he has BYU scheduled for the weekend of June 19.
Logansport (Indiana) offensive tackle RJ Clem also will be on campus for the first time. Spartans offensive line coach Nick Tabacca offered in May.
A 6-foot-7, 265-pound prospect, Clem is also a state qualifier in discus and plays basketball. Wake Forest will get an official next weekend. Kansas State and Iowa State also have offered.
Michigan State commit Grant Adloff, a three-star offensive lineman from East Grand Rapids, also will be on campus for his official.
In-state targets nearing decisions
The name to watch for Spartan fans this week is Detroit King’s Don Spillers. A two-way athlete, Michigan State is recruiting the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Spillers as a safety while Illinois, his other finalist, is recruiting him as a wide receiver.
Spillers is expected to make a decision by this weekend. Michigan State has led his Rivals predictions for much of his recruitment, but last weekend’s official visit with Illinois have made the Illini a very real threat to those predictions.
Spillers’ teammate, offensive lineman Jameer Henry, also is believed to be nearing a decision. Henry (6-5, 300 pounds) also is considering Illinois. Missouri was considered the primary competition, but the Tigers have faded in the race.
First summer camp brings talent from all classes
Michigan State hosted their first one-day camp of the summer on June 9.
No offers were extended at the camp, but there were many potential future offers within the group.
Toledo Central Catholic’s David Yharbrough and Troy Yharbrough were two of the standouts. David Yharbrough is a rising junior receiver while Troy Yharbrough is only an incoming freshman, but already looks like a national recruit with several programs offering already.
In-state cornerbacks Jacob Patton and Wendell Childs impressed. Patton (Detroit Country Day) is a 2028 recruit with an offer from Wisconsin. Childs (Clarkston) is a 2027 with track speed. The Spartans are down the road in their 2027 recruiting, but Childs made a play to be considered.
The NFL Academy, a boarding school in the United Kingdom brought several of their top prospects as part of their stateside college tour. That included 6-foot-8, 310-pound offensive tackle Adam Ibironke, a class of 2028 recruit.
Tabor (Massachusetts) Academy wide receiver Xander Odenyo, a multi-offer prospect also stood out in one-on-one work.
Grand Rapids Catholic Central quarterback Odin Spencer, along with wide receivers Grayson Tidd and Jace Cummings, were also among the camp’s top performers.
Spartan defensive line commit Jack Schuler also took part in the camp.
Allen Trieu covers Midwest football recruiting for On3. He has been featured on the Big Ten Network on its annual Signing Day Show. His Michigan and Michigan State recruiting columns appear weekly at detroitnews.com.
-
Detroit, MI3 minutes ago
Opening of Canada-US bridge in Detroit that Trump threatened to block is delayed
-
San Francisco, CA15 minutes agoGoing to San Francisco Pride 2026? Parade Times, Maps, Street Closures and Safety Advice | KQED
-
Dallas, TX17 minutes agoWoman arrested in Dallas food delivery turned ambush shooting in March, officials say
-
Miami, FL23 minutes ago2026 Miami Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 2: Florida A&M
-
Boston, MA30 minutes agoMinivan in rollover wreck in Dorchester – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News
-
Denver, CO32 minutes agoIs Denver hosting 2026 World Cup matches? No, and here’s why
-
Seattle, WA38 minutes agoCars not welcome: How to navigate Seattle on World Cup game days – MyNorthwest.com
-
San Diego, CA45 minutes agoPadres minors: Jhony Brito solid in El Paso start, Kerrington Cross leads Storm to win
