The parents of a suspected school shooter have been apprehended after they failed to turn themselves into police on Friday, instead going on the run.
As previously reported, the Oakland County, Michigan, prosecutor announced on Friday that James and Jennifer Crumbley would be charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the fatal Oxford High School shooting on Tuesday. Their son, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, was apprehended at the scene after he allegedly opened fire in the school hallway, killing four classmates and injuring six more people, including one teacher.
At a news conference Friday, the county prosecutor said she believed the parents held responsibility because they allowed the teen access to a weapon and did not adequately intervene when a teacher saw a disturbing note Ethan wrote on Tuesday morning. Included were the words: “The thoughts won’t stop, help me.”
Ethan Crumbley returned to the classroom after a meeting with his parents and school administrators. His parents reportedly resisted taking him out of school. A short time later, he pulled a weapon out of his backpack and “methodically” shot his classmates.
According to the Detroit Free Press, a citizen spotted the couple’s car in Detroit on Friday and alerted police. The report indicates that the tipster was the owner of a commercial building in the Bellevue neighbor is the tipster who spotted the fugitive couple’s car.
“The owner of the building arrived and saw the car in the back parking lot, knew it didn’t belong there, went to investigate,” Oakland County Undersheriff Mike McCabe told the Detroit Free Press.
According to the report, surveillance footage from the building showed one of the parents entering it on Friday. Police reportedly believe someone with a connection to the building aided the couple, and said at a news conference early Saturday morning that the individual may be charged.
Detroit Police Chief James White reportedly said at a news briefing that the couple was unarmed and appeared “distressed.”
The Crumbleys are expected to be booked into Oakland County Jail on Saturday. CrimeOnline will provide further updates when more information is available.
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