(WXYZ) — Ethan Crumbley has pleaded guilty to 24 charges, including one count of terrorism and four counts of first-degree murder, in last year's deadly Oxford High School shooting.
Tate Myre, 16, Hana St. Juliana,14, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Justin Shilling, 17, were killed in the shooting. Seven other people were injured.
The guilty plea eliminates the need for a criminal trial.
“Ethan Crumbley’s guilty plea is one small step forward on a long path towards obtaining full justice for our clients. We will continue to fight until the truth is revealed about what went wrong leading up to this tragedy, and who, including Crumbley’s parents and multiple Oxford Community Schools employees, could have and should have prevented it,” said attorney Ven Johnson, who is representing several victim families.
After he pleaded guilty, Crumbley's attorney Paulette Loftin said Ethan is remorseful for the deadly shooting.
"He's taking accountability for his actions," said Loftin.
“I just feel like this is one less thing we have to worry about,” Nicole Beausoleil, the mother of Madisyn Baldwin said.
She says she fears that this move could be his defense team trying to lower his sentence of life behind bars without parole.
"I don't know if this is a plea for him to get reduced sentencing. I pray he does not. I will speak. Voice my opinion about how I feel about him and what he's done to our family. I have a feeling a lot of other families will do the same," she said.
Attorney Todd Flood represents the family of another victim who was shot but survived. He says given Michigan's changes to juvenile lifer laws, the prosecutors may have a difficult task trying to get life without parole.
"This will be a battle of experts. A psychiatrist on the stand with a forensic review, and by the prosecution that has the burden," Flood said.
Beausoleil says life without parole should be the only option.
“Those kids didn’t get choices or chances that day. He didn’t allow that, so what makes it that he is allowed a second chance,” she said.
Aiden Watson, who was shot at Oxford High School, spoke out along with his parents after the hearing.
“When I saw Ethan walking in the room, I got a feeling in my gut, sort of like an angry feeling. I’m mad at him for what … he did," said Aiden.
He said it's all a lot to comprehend.
"My leg hurts all the time, I just have to deal with it. It’s something that happens every day, and it’s something that’s just a part of my life now," he said.
Despite everything, Aiden said he tries to remain positive.
“I don’t want to let this let me down. I don’t want to let this destroy the rest of my life. I just want to stay positive. I wish things were back to before the 30th,” said Aiden.
His mother, Linda, described what her son witnessed on November 30, 2021.
"The day of was incredibly difficult for him. He went into the hallway, because he heard something and what he ended up seeing, no kid should see," said Linda.
She said today, hearing Crumbley plead guilty, was another difficult day.
“It was really, really hard to hear … it was hard to see that kid,” said Linda.
Aiden's father said now it's one less thing the family has to worry about moving forward.
A first-degree murder conviction typically brings an automatic life prison sentence in Michigan, but teenagers are entitled to a hearing at which their lawyer can argue for a shorter term and an opportunity for parole.
The teenager withdrew his intent to pursue an insanity defense, and repeatedly acknowledged that he understands the potential penalties. Deborah McKelvy, his court-appointed guardian, told Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Kwame Rowe that she had met with him Thursday at the county jail, and believes he fully understands the consequences.
Ethan, now 16, had no discipline issues at the school, roughly 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Detroit, but his behavior earlier on the day of the mass shooting raised flags.
A teacher had discovered a drawing with a gun pointing at the words: “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me.” There was an image of a bullet with the message: “Blood everywhere.”
James and Jennifer Crumbley declined to take their son home on Nov. 30 but were told to get him into counseling within 48 hours, according to investigators.
Ethan had brought a 9mm Sig Sauer handgun and 50 rounds of ammunition to school in his backpack that day. He went into a bathroom, pulled out the weapon and then shot the students in a hallway. Within minutes, deputies rushed in and he surrendered without resistance.
A day earlier, a teacher had seen Ethan searching for ammunition on his phone. The school contacted Jennifer Crumbley, who told her son in a text message: “Lol. I’m not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Separately, the elder Crumbleys are facing involuntary manslaughter charges. They are accused of making a gun accessible to Ethan and ignoring his need for mental health treatment. Parents have rarely been charged in school shootings, though the guns used commonly come from the home of a parent or close relative.
Prosecutors earlier this year disclosed that Ethan had hallucinations about demons and was fascinated by guns and Nazi propaganda.
"Put simply, they created an environment in which their son’s violent tendencies flourished. They were aware their son was troubled, and then they bought him a gun,” prosecutors said in a court filing.
The Crumbleys said they were unaware of Ethan's plan to commit a school shooting. They also dispute that the gun was easy to grab at home.
Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana and Justin Shilling were killed, while six students and a teacher were wounded. In addition to the counts of first-degree murder and terrorism causing death, Ethan admitted guilt to seven counts of assault with intent to murder and 12 counts of possessing a firearm in the commission of a felony.
The judge set Feb. 9 for the start of hearings to determine if he'll be sentenced to life without parole or get a shorter sentence due to his age, and a chance at release. His lawyers will be able to argue a variety of mitigating circumstances, including family life and mental health. Prosecutors didn’t signal in court if they will argue for a no-parole sentence.
