Michigan
How a Michigan school-shooting case could affect gun-owning NC parents
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — A national conversation about parental responsibility is unfolding in the wake of a trial against Jennifer Crumbley, whose 15-year-old son will spend the rest of his life behind bars for shooting 11 people at his Michigan high school, killing four of his classmates in 2021.
The laws in Michigan are relatively parallel to the laws in North Carolina, according to litigation lawyer Donald Clack with the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin.
Crumbley is accused of not taking steps to stop her son from pulling the trigger. She’s facing involuntary manslaughter charges and could spend up to 15 years behind bars if convicted. The jury is still deliberating her case. Her husband, James Crumbley, will be tried separately for the same crime. His trial has not yet begun.
Prosecutors say Jennifer Crumbley was grossly negligent when she failed to tell Oxford High School officials that the family had guns, including a 9mm handgun that was used by her son, Ethan Crumbley, at a shooting range just a few days earlier.
The school was concerned about a macabre drawing of a gun, bullet, and wounded man, accompanied by desperate phrases, on a math assignment. But Ethan was allowed to stay in school on Nov. 30, 2021, following a roughly 12-minute meeting with his parents, who didn’t take him home. His backpack was also not checked, though it contained the gun he would use later that day in the mass shooting.
Defense attorney Shannon Smith told jurors that a conviction would have a chilling effect on unwitting parents whose children break the law. The tragedy, she argued, was not foreseeable.
Regardless, laws in states like Michigan and North Carolina can be interpreted to hold parents accountable for the actions of their children.
Clack said he believes the prosecution in Michigan will open the door for more parents across the country to be prosecuted to hold them accountable for shootings perpetrated by their children.
“I hope that that’s the case because I don’t think plausible deniability is an all-encompassing excuse anymore,” Clack said, and he added that parents have more access to their children’s activities now than ever using technology. He said he believes parents need to take more responsibility to ensure their children aren’t a danger to others.
In North Carolina, it’s against the law for children younger than 18 to own a handgun or to use it without the supervision of an adult in most cases.
If a child takes a gun to school, parents can be charged. If a child uses a gun to harm others, parents can be charged as well.
In most cases in North Carolina, parents would face a misdemeanor for failing to secure their firearms from their children.
It brings to mind the misdemeanor charge filed by Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman against Alan Thompson, whose 15-year-old son Austin is believed to have killed five people in the Headingham neighborhood shooting rampage in 2022. Both are still awaiting trial.
Click here for the full statute relating to minor and firearms in the state of North Carolina.
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Michigan
Michigan groom sentenced for killing his best friend on his wedding night
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A man in Michigan who got married and then ran over his best friend that same day, killing him, after an alcohol-fueled argument was sentenced Monday to least 30 years in prison.
“The only thing I can do for the rest of my life is express my apology and remorse. … I will forever be sorry,” James Shirah said in Genesee County court.
Shirah, 24, was driving when his vehicle struck Terry Taylor Jr. in Flint, about an hour’s drive northwest of Detroit, on Aug. 30, 2024. He and Savanah Collier were married earlier that day and the celebration had moved to a house.
Shirah’s attorney had argued that the crash was not intentional. Prosecutors, however, said Shirah had left the scene and had time to reflect before returning and striking Taylor, MLive.com reported.
“Mr. Shirah, I believe that you are not a criminal. You are, however, a killer,” Judge Khary Hanible said.
In April, Shirah pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and other offenses. He will be eligible for parole after 30 years.
“I hope that they throw the book at you,” Taylor’s cousin, Eren Taylor, said before Shirah received his sentence.
Shirah’s wife will be sentenced later in May for being an accessory.
Michigan
SW Michigan show returns as growing destination for vinyl collectors
BENTON HARBOR — Vinyl collectors and music fans are invited to dig through thousands of records and music collectibles at the Southwest Michigan Record Show.
The event is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 16 at Grand Upton Hall inside Lake Michigan College’s Mendel Center in Benton Harbor, according to a press release.
Now in its fourth season, the show features 25 vendors from five states, offering 70 tables filled with vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, record supplies and music memorabilia.
Free admission begins at 10 a.m.
General admission is free starting at 10 a.m., while early entry is available at 8:30 a.m. for $5. Door prize drawings are planned for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., including $25 shopping certificates and record supplies from BCW Supplies. The first 75 attendees will receive free tote bags.
A food truck will be on site, and cash is preferred for purchases. Some vendors may accept cards, PayPal, Venmo and other payment methods, but there is no ATM on site.
Vendors from across the Midwest and beyond
The show is expected to feature a wide selection of music genres, including classic rock, pop, ’80s, metal, punk, jazz, blues, R&B, country and soundtracks.
“This show is still being discovered, and that’s part of what makes it exciting,” event organizer Jeremy D. Bonfiglio said in the release. “We’ve built a strong group of experienced vendors, so whether you’re just getting into vinyl or digging for something rare, there’s a real opportunity here to find something unexpected.”
Free parking is available near the entrance of Mendel Center, 2755 Napier Ave.
Future dates planned
The Southwest Michigan Record Show is also scheduled to return Sept. 19.
For more information, visit southwestmichiganrecordshow.com or follow the event on Facebook.
This story was created by reporter Cheryl Morey, with the assistance of artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing.
Michigan
Yes, you can play curling in West Michigan
ALGOMA TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The spirit of curling is one of friendship.
While memory of the Winter Olympics may have long melted away in the minds of many Americans, there some whose curiousness for the sport of curling has extended all the way into the springtime.
“Everybody’s having fun,” said Paul Curran, league manager for the Grand Rapids Curling Club. “It’s a really weird sport in that it’s really friendly.”
The club, which plays at the Cedar Rock Sportsplex in Algoma Township, has seen a recent spike in interest in its beginners leagues and learn to curl classes.
“We’re all here to curl and learn,” said beginner Aaron Schwieterman. “Everyone’s making mistakes, but still having a great time learning the sport and trying to mimic what the professionals do at the Olympics.”
“I recommend it to anybody who wants to try something different,” said beginner Margaret Steketee. “If I can do it, anybody can do it.”
For a period of time on the ice, these newcomers to the sport turn into competitors. Then, at the conclusions of their games, they revert to being friends.
“Largely, what you’ll find with curlers is that when they’re done curling, they want to be friendly and hang out,” Curran said. “Which is what our league is doing right now.”
As long as people are interested, Curran says the club will continue to put on beginners leagues and lessons.
“The more people we get out here curling, the better,” he said.
For more information on ways to play and learn how to curl in West Michigan, visit the Grand Rapids Curling Club’s website.
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