Washington

Father of Oxford shooter found guilty of involuntary manslaughter

Published

2 years ago

March 14, 2024

Father of Oxford shooter found guilty of involuntary manslaughter

PONTIAC, Mich. — James Crumbley, whose teenage son killed four students in the 2021 Oxford High School shooting, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter by an Oakland County, Mich., jury Thursday in a verdict that caps two separate trials that made Crumbley and his wife the first parents of a school shooter to face homicide-level charges for their child’s crime.

The jury of six men and six women deliberated for nearly 11 hours before finding Crumbly, 47, guilty of all four involuntary manslaughter counts. The verdict concluded the brisk eight-day trial that largely lacked the drama and hostility between the defense and prosecutors seen in Jennifer Crumbley’s trial, which ended last month with her conviction on four counts of involuntary manslaughter.

The Crumbleys’ son, Ethan, was sentenced last year to life without parole for killing Hana St. Juliana, 14; Tate Myre, 16; Madisyn Baldwin, 17; and Justin Shilling, 17, and injuring seven others in the Nov. 30, 2021, shooting. The shooter, who was 15 years old when he committed the killings, was charged as an adult and later pleaded guilty to 24 charges, including first-degree murder and terrorism. On the day of the shooting, he hid in his backpack a 9mm Sig Sauer gun that his father bought four days prior as an early Christmas gift.

James and Jennifer Crumbley faced identical charges but were tried separately in a closely watched case that sits at the vanguard of a new strategy by some prosecutors to look more broadly at who can or should be held accountable when a child harms others with a gun. Sentencing for both Crumbleys is set for April 9.

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald took the rare step of charging the Crumbleys within days of the shooting, and that move has since been followed in cases like the deadly 2022 Fourth of July shooting in Highland Park, Ill.: Prosecutors last year secured a guilty plea from the shooter’s father for misdemeanor reckless conduct for his role in facilitating his son’s gun access.

James Crumbley was silent and shook his head as the jury foreperson read the verdict. Meanwhile, Nicole Beausoleil, Baldwin’s mother, leaned forward and cried. As the courtroom cleared, families of the victims stopped to shake hands and hug McDonald.

In an emotional news conference following the verdict, McDonald and the parents of the victims called out the urgency of curbing gun violence and improving mental health support for children.

“I refuse to take a victory lap with these prosecutions, it will not bring back these kids,” McDonald said, noting that while the three convictions were critical, they alone won’t solve gun violence.

“Gun violence is the number one cause of death for children in this country and it is a public health crisis,” McDonald said. “And we will not be able to address it until we start treating it like a public health crisis — and yes, access to guns is a critical piece of that.”

Steve St. Juliana, Hana’s father, and Buck Myre, Tate’s father, both said tackling gun violence and mental health are bipartisan issues that demand immediate action.

“We complain about Second Amendment rights, or we say, ‘Oh there’s not enough money […] for mental health issues,” St. Juliana said. “We can put people on the moon and we can build skyscrapers [but] we can’t keep … our kids safe in schools. I think people just need to wake up.”

Gun-control advocates praised the verdict. Nick Suplina, senior vice president for law and policy at the nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety, said parents have a responsibility to prevent children from accessing guns.

“Once again, today’s guilty verdict of James Crumbley further underscores this critical duty of responsible gun ownership,” Suplina said. “The deadly shooting at Oxford High School in 2021 should have been prevented had Jennifer and James Crumbley taken basic precautions, like securely storing firearms in the home, to prevent their 15-year-old son from bringing a gun to school and killing four children and wounding seven others.”

Much evidence and nearly all of the witnesses from James Crumbley’s trial were already previewed in his wife’s trial. The second time around, the trial moved quicker, with fewer clashes between lawyers and more precise arguments from each side. Most notably, after Jennifer Crumbley gave testimony that may have doomed her for the jury, James Crumbley decided not take the stand in his own trial; the defense’s only witness was Karen Crumbley, his sister.

The prosecution’s overarching argument remained the same: James Crumbley bought a gun for a teen who was clearly troubled, failed to secure it, and failed to take steps before the shooting and on that morning that could have prevented the eventual tragedy.

“It only took one tragically small measure of ordinary care to avoid four deaths,” McDonald said during closing arguments.

Prosecutors pointed to the morning of the shooting, when the Crumbley parents were summoned to the school after a teacher saw their son draw pictures of a gun, a bullet-riddled body and a cry-laughing face on a math assignment alongside phrases like, “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me,” “the world is dead,” and “blood everywhere.” McDonald said Crumbley failed a legal duty to prevent his son from harming others with actions that were or should have been “foreseeable” to Crumbley.

The jury saw journal entries where the shooter wrote desperate musings like: “I have zero HELP for my mental problems and it’s causing me to shoot up the f—ing school” and “I want help but my parents won’t listen to me so I can’t get any help.”

Jurors also saw the shooter’s text to his friend where he wrote, “I told my dad to take me to the doctor yesterday, but he gave me some pills and told me to suck it up.”

McDonald said Crumbley knew his son was having some kind of trouble as she ticked off the clues: His son was upset about the family dog dying, about his friend moving away, about his grandmother dying, about pandemic isolation; he knew his son had looked up bullets and watched violent videos — and had seen the drawing the morning of the shooting.

“How many times does this kid have to say it?” McDonald said, raising her voice during closing.

Donning a pair of blue gloves, McDonald picked up the murder weapon during the final part of her closing and quickly inserted a cable lock into the gun.

“It only takes ten seconds. Ten seconds of the easiest, simplest thing,” McDonald said. The cable lock was later found in the home, unused, and with an accompanying safety manual.

Defense attorney Marielle Lehman said the charges against Crumbley are “assumptions and hindsight.”

It’s easy to look back at warning signs and call them obvious, Lehman said. Prosecutors presented the shooter’s journal entries that detailed his desire — and later plans — to shoot up the school, as well as text messages with his best friend where he talked about handling the gun his father purchased.

Lehman said there was no evidence Crumbley saw his son’s journal or text messages with friends, or knew his son accessed guns and ammunition without supervision. She also cited a prosecutor’s witness, Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Agent Brett Brandon, who testified “‘there are multiple ways to store a firearm responsibly,’ not just the way the prosecution described,” Lehman said.

Crumbley told sheriff’s deputies during an interview following the shooting that he kept the gun hidden in a case in his bedroom armoire and hid the bullets separately under a pile of jeans.

Lehman sought to distance Crumbley from the prosecution’s characterization that the weapon belonged to the shooter.

“If it really were his son’s gun, why was it hidden in [James’] bedroom? In a location his son was not aware of?” Lehman said.

The defense also asserted publicly for the first time that while Crumbley knew his son had access to a gun, the school did, too.

School staffers testified they thought the shooter was troubled, but saw him more as a danger to himself rather than others.

Neither the parents nor school staff searched the shooter’s backpack before he was sent back to class. Little more than two hours later, Crumbley learned there was a shooting at the school and dialed 911 explaining a gun was missing from the home and that he and his wife had been called to speak with his son’s counselor that morning.

“I think my son took the gun,” Crumbley is heard on tape saying frantically. “I’m freaking out.”

Shannon Smith, an attorney for Jennifer Crumbley, said she and her client were declining interviews.

“We believe the victims, their families, and the community need and deserve the space and time to begin healing from this tragedy,” Smith said in a statement late Thursday.

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Washington

LIVE UPDATES: Washington flooding, road closures, evacuations

Published

9 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

LIVE UPDATES: Washington flooding, road closures, evacuations

SEATTLE – As more heavy rainfall is expected in western Washington this week, the region remains under a Flood Watch, with road closures, evacuations, and power outages persisting.

A Flash Flood Warning was activated and later canceled for parts of south King County after a Green River levee failed. The levee has since been repaired, patched by sandbags after nearby businesses were evacuated.

Desimone Levee breech. (Dana Ralph, Kent Mayor)

Keep reading for live weather updates for Tuesday, Dec. 16.

8:05 a.m.: Resources available in Pacific, WA

Valley Regional Fire listed several resources on behalf of the city of Pacific:

Warm location that will be serving coffee and breakfast: Senior Center and the gym at the Pacific Community Center (100 3rd Ave SE)
Auburn Community and Events Center (910 9th ST SE) is open with Red Cross resources
The Filipino American Community of Puget Sound in Algona (103 6th Ave N) is also offering a warm location
Alpac Elementary School (310 Milwaukee Blvd N) parking lot is available in addition to restrooms.
Sandbags are available at 224 County Line Road

7:42 a.m.: Puget Sound Energy crews make significant progress in restoring power outages in WA

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) crews made great progress overnight after more than 50,000 people in western Washington lost power on Monday. As of 7:42 a.m. on Tuesday, there are only 56 outages impacted 1,343 customers.Snohomish PUD is reporting outages impacting 490 people. Clallam County PUD is reporting 0 outages.

7:40 a.m.: SR 167 remains closed between Kent and Auburn

‘Go Now’ evacuation in Auburn

Flooding from the Green River is forcing Level 3 ‘Go Now’ Evacuation order in the area between South 277th and north of 42nd, and east of SR-167 and west of Green River.

The Washington State Department of Transportation said both directions of State Route 167 remain closed on Tuesday between South 212th Street in Kent and 15th Avenue West in Auburn due to flooding.

Drivers are advised to take alternate routes and expect delays on I-5 and I-405.

WSDOT’s David Rasbach told Good Day Seattle there was still water over the roadway in the area.

State Route 167 remains closed between Kent and Auburn.

7:30 a.m.: Level 3 ‘Go Now’ Evacuation in Auburn, WA

There are still evacuation orders in effect in Auburn, Washington. This flooding from the Green River is forcing Level 3 ‘Go Now’ Evacuation order in the area between South 277th and north of 42nd, and east of SR-167 and west of Green River.

There are also Level 2 ‘Get Set’ Evacuations in several neighborhoods along both sides of the Green River, including areas near 104th Avenue Southeast, Pike Street Northeast and Pike Place Northeast – south of the Auburn Golf Course. Anyone who lives there should be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice if things get worse.

Officials say evacuees seeking shelter can go to the Auburn Community and Event Center and Ray of Hope Shelter in Auburn.

7:24 a.m.: Person dead after driving car onto flooded roadway in Snohomish County

A driver died overnight in Snohomish after reportedly bypassing road closure signs and plunging into a flooded ditch near East Lowell Larimer Road.

7:03 a.m.: Level 3 ‘Go Now’ Evacuation in Concrete, WA; School district closed

There is a Level 3 ‘Go Now’ Evacuation order in place for the Erikson Road neighborhood in Concrete, Washington.

The town says they found a landslide there last week, and with more rain and wind coming, they are asking people to leave the area.There is also an upgraded Level 2 ‘Get Set’ Evacuation near Burpee Hill Road that is impacting 32 homes. This comes after a landslide in the area on Monday.

The Red Cross opened a shelter for people impacted by those evacuations at the Mount Baker Presbyterian Church off Main Street.

County officials say pets can be accommodated.Schools in the Concrete School District are closed Tuesday. The district will continue to monitor conditions to make decisions for later this week.You can find more school closures across western Washington here.

6:20 a.m.: How you can help

GoFundMe has updated their list of verified fundraisers and non-profits providing help to those affected by the flooding.

To donate to Washington and Pacific Northwest flood relief fundraisers, click here.

6:09 a.m.: Flooding impacting local blood supply

The flash flood evacuation from the Green River levee breech is near Bloodworks Northwest’s Renton Lab and Donor Center.

Officials say the stored blood supply remains safe, but the donor center is closed.

Critical blood storage, supplies and vehicles were moved to a different location, and upcoming blood drives may be affected.

Bloodworks Northwest said more than 300 potential donations have been canceled since last week, which created a shortage.

The company is asking donors of all blood types are needed. To donate, click here.

6:04 a.m.: Evacuation efforts in Pacific, WA

Valley Regional Fire Authority crews are working to help residents evacuate in Pacific.

Officials said about 100 residents have been evacuated and no injuries have been reported.

The affected areas primarily are S of 1st, and E of Butte, S of Stewart, and Skinner Road.

5:20 a.m.: Tracking school closures and delays

Several school districts in western Washington announced delays.

Here is the latest list.

5 a.m.: New evacuation orders in Pacific

Early Tuesday morning, police in Pacific announced after 1:30 a.m. there was a Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation order due to a levee break on the White River.

The evacuation order affects the areas east of Butte and South of Third.

National Weather Service Seattle issued a Flash Flood Warning before 1:45 a.m. Tuesday.

Tuesday weather forecast

Heavy rain, gusty winds and mountain snow returns to western Washington by Tuesday evening, with the potential to push river levels even higher and knock out power to thousands due to downed trees.

The Skagit, Snoqualmie, Green, White, Cedar, Cowlitz, Stehekin and Skykomish rivers are back under Flood Warnings.

A Flood Watch remains in effect for parts of Western Washington through Thursday afternoon. (FOX 13 Seattle)

A Winter Storm Warning and Winter Weather Advisory will be in effect Tuesday afternoon through late Wednesday for heavy mountain snow.

Green River levee fails, Flash Flood Warning

A Flash Flood Warning was activated on Monday after a Green River levee failed in Tukwila, prompting evacuations in areas downstream from the levee break.

While the warning was canceled just before Monday evening, the Desimone levee breach was at one point described as “life-threatening” and reportedly threatened nearby structures.

Most of western Washington remains under a Flood Watch through Thursday due to the rainy forecast ahead, along with already high river levels.

Road closures in Western Washington

Several critical roadways across western Washington are closed due to weather effects, including highway washouts that will continue to impact travel.

On Interstate 90, eastbound lanes of the freeway are closed near North Bend due to a landslide. Additionally, though not weather related, all westbound lanes are closed near Cle Elum due to construction of the Bullfrog Road overpass.

U.S. 2 Stevens Pass is closed at Tumwater Canyon after a section of the highway was washed out by flooding last week. It’s blocked between Skykomish and Leavenworth, and there is no estimated time for when the road will reopen. Highway 410 is also closed at Enumclaw due to a washout.

SR 410 washout (Enumclaw Police Department)

MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE

New WA laws in 2026 include higher wages, luxury car tax, plastic bag fee hike

Wild Waves Theme Park to shut down in 2026

Charter bus breaks down in Leavenworth, leaving dozens stranded

75-year-old woman attacked in Downtown Seattle, suspect arrested

Washington State Ferries seeks new owners for aging fleet castoffs

To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.

Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.

The Source: Information in this story came from the websites and social media pages of various agencies and emergency management departments across western Washington, and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.

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Washington

Washington holds on to win OT thriller 3-2 against NC State in College Cup Final

Published

21 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Washington holds on to win OT thriller 3-2 against NC State in College Cup Final

NC State (16-2-4)

NC State secured a 2-1 victory over Saint Louis on Saturday, weathering a late Billiken rally to hold onto the win. After dominating the middle portion of the match, the Wolfpack survived a tense final 10 minutes following a successful Saint Louis penalty conversion.

The Wolfpack offense broke through in the 69th minute when Donavan Phillip scored off a clinical sequence involving Isaac Heffess and Calem Tommy and ending in a perfectly placed header. Taig Healy quickly doubled the advantage at the 72:04 mark, burying another header assisted by Riley Moloney to put NC State up 2-0.

Saint Louis found a lifeline in the 80th minute. Following a foul in the box by NC State’s Justin McLean, Quinten Blair stepped to the spot and converted the penalty kick to cut the deficit to one.

Defensively, both goalkeepers remained busy. NC State’s Logan Erb made two crucial saves, including a stop on Jack DiMaria in the 85th minute to prevent an equalizer. Saint Louis’ Jeremi Abonnel finished with four saves, notably denying Ibrahim Conde and Frankie DeFrancesco in quick succession to keep the Billikens within striking distance early in the second half.

Washington (15-6-2)

Behind a dominant multi-point performance from Charlie Kosakoff, Washington defeated Furman 3-1 in the semis to advance to the national championship. The Huskies controlled the tempo from the opening whistle, outshooting the Paladins and consistently testing the frame.

Washington’s offense ignited late in the first half. Zach Ramsey opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, converting a pass from Alex Hall. Kosakoff, who was a constant threat throughout the match, doubled the lead in the 40th minute with an unassisted strike to give the Huskies a 2-0 cushion at the break.

Despite a more aggressive Furman side in the second half, Washington put the game away in the 86th minute. Asher Hestad, appearing as a late substitute, found the back of the net off a surgical assist from Kosakoff. Furman managed to spoil the shutout just over a minute later when Luke Hutzell scored off a double assist from Braden Dunham and Connor Dunnigan, but the Paladins could not find a path to a comeback.

Furman goalkeeper Ivan Horvat delivered a heroic performance in defeat, recording eight saves to keep the score respectable. His work was highlighted by a string of four saves in the second half against a relentless Washington counter-attack. Washington’s Jadon Bowton earned the win, making one key save on a Wilfer Bustamante attempt late in the first half that could have switched the momentum.

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Washington

Washington Spirit Names Kim Bolt Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer

Published

1 day ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Washington Spirit Names Kim Bolt Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer

Bolt transitions into role after driving impact as Fractional CMO earlier this season

Washington, D.C. (12/15/2025) – The Washington Spirit today announced the appointment of Kim Bolt as Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer, a newly created executive role that reflects the club’s continued evolution into a high-performance, growth-oriented organization.

Bolt transitions into the role after joining the Spirit earlier this season as Fractional Chief Marketing Officer, where she played a key role in strengthening the club’s marketing strategy, analytics foundation and demand-generation efforts during a pivotal stretch of the year.

In her expanded role, Bolt will oversee Marketing, Communications, Brand, Strategy and Analytics, with a mandate to build a modern, data-driven commercial engine that accelerates fan growth, deepens engagement, elevates the Spirit’s brand and supports the club’s long-term ambitions on and off the pitch.

With more than 20 years of marketing and strategy leadership across technology, fitness and sports, Bolt brings deep experience scaling mission-driven brands. Her career includes senior leadership roles at Google, Lyft, Under Armour and Disney, as well as serving as Chief Marketing Officer of the Washington Nationals. An expert in marketing technology centered around fan data, Bolt has also advised League One Volleyball and served as Fractional CMO for OnDeck Partners, an Avenue Sports Fund portfolio company focused on minor league baseball.

“As we evolve from a team that wins into an organization built for sustained excellence, Kim’s experience and mindset are exactly what we need,” said Kim Stone, CEO of the Washington Spirit. “She understands this market, this moment and the scale of the opportunity in front of us. Her global brand experience, strategic rigor and early impact with our organization strengthen the foundation we’re building and position us for long-term, sustainable growth.”

A former youth soccer player, Bolt was drawn to the sports industry by her belief in its unique ability to create emotional connection and lifelong memories, a passion shaped early by her family’s love of the game. Throughout her career, Bolt has championed a leadership style grounded in empathy, resilience and accountability. She is committed to supporting women in sports and business and believes high performance and personal balance can, and should, coexist.

“The first time my daughters came to a Spirit match, they memorized the roster and their eyes lit up when they saw a player who looked like them,” said Bolt. “That was the moment I knew I wanted to be part of this organization. Having worked closely with the team this season, I’ve seen firsthand the ambition, the talent and the opportunity ahead. I’m honored to step into this role and help build a brand and growth engine that matches the excellence we’re striving for on the field.”

Bolt resides in Silver Spring, Maryland with her husband, three children and two dogs. She holds an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania as well as a master’s degree in Communications and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Cornell University. As the Spirit’s first Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer, Bolt will lead the club through the offseason and into the 2026 season, helping shape the next chapter of the organization’s growth.

About The Washington Spirit

The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012, and is an inaugural member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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