By Darren Lyn
HOUSTON, United States (AA) - The Michigan Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that James and Jennifer Crumbley can stand trial as the first parents in US history to be charged in a mass school shooting linked to their child, according to reports.
The charges of involuntary manslaughter were originally filed against the Crumbleys two years ago after the Nov. 30, 2021, shooting rampage at Oxford High School just outside of Detroit, carried out by their son, Ethan.
Four students died in the massacre. Six others and a teacher were wounded.
Prosecutors argued that the Crumbleys should be held criminally liable for buying the gun used in the rampage and for not telling school officials about the weapon when they were notified about Ethan's erratic behavior at school, including violent drawings of his that were found.
The state appeals court said in March that the couple could face trial based on probable cause. The Crumbleys appealed the ruling, arguing that the school shooting was not foreseeable and that their role did not rise to the level of involuntary manslaughter, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. But after seven months, the state Supreme Court let the lower court's decision stand.
The Crumbleys have been in jail for nearly two years and legal experts said they could avoid a jury trial by cutting a deal to plead guilty in exchange for leniency during sentencing. The deal would have to be agreed to by prosecutors and the judge.
Neither side can publicly comment about the case due to a gag order.
Ethan Crumbley, now 17, carried out the mass shooting when he was 15. He pleaded guilty last year to murder and terrorism charges. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison without parole. Crumbley will be sentenced Dec. 8.