James Crumbley, father of school shooter convicted of 'manslaughter'

The father of a Michigan school gunmen who killed four students, James Crumbley, has been convicted of "involuntary manslaughter" by Oakland Country jury on Thursday, BBC reported.

The Crumbley case is the first instance, where parents of an underage shooter have been convicted in mass shooting, igniting debate regarding parent's role and gun control across the United States (US).

Adam Winkler, law professor at the University of California said: "It's very rare for parents to be held accountable when their children have access to firearms and do harm."

According to the trial, James, 47, had bought his 15-year-old son Ethan Crumbley a gun, ignoring his mental health issues.

Ethan, in November 2021, shot four students and injured seven others, after he opened fire at the Oxford High School. He has been sentenced with life imprisonment.

Furthermore, the trial alleged that James and wife Jennifer, ignored son Ethan's warning signs and had been negligent towards him.

As per a journal entry by Ethan showed by prosecutors, the boy wrote: "I have zero HELP for my mental problems and it's causing me to SHOOT UP THE F—ING SCHOOL … I want help but my parents don’t listen to me so I can’t get any help."

Reportedly on the day of the shooting, James and Jennifer had been called by the school for an urgent parent teacher meeting regarding Ethan's aggressive drawings, showing dead bodies and blood.

Despite several complaints and warnings by school, the Crumbley's refused to take Ethan home.

Attorney Ven Johnson, who is representing the victims families, said that "the verdicts of the Crumbleys won’t bring back the lives of these four students, but it represents one more step towards holding everyone responsible accountable under the law, which is justice for the victims' families and the Oxford community."

Since 1997, there have been more than 1500 school shootings, across the US as reported by the American Academy of Pediatrics and Education Week.

The Crumbley verdict marks a major milestone in the debate over the culpability of parents in crimes committed by their children.