The mother of a US school shooter has been convicted of manslaughter in a landmark trial

Her husband, James Crumbley, 47, is set to face his own trial on manslaughter charges in March.

Jennifer Crumbley and her husband James bought a gun just days before the shooting at Oxford High School which left four students dead. Credit: OAKLAND COUNTY SHERIFF

The couple’s son, Ethan, was 15 at the time of the shooting at Oxford High School involving a semi-automatic handgun. He pleaded guilty in 2022 to four counts of first-degree murder and other charges and was sentenced to life in prison without parole in December.

Oakland County prosecutors argued during the trial that Jennifer Crumbley, even though she did not pull the trigger, stored the gun and ammunition in a negligent manner and should be held criminally responsible for the deaths. They said she and her husband knew Ethan was mentally in a “downward spiral” and posed a danger to others but allowed him access to firearms, including the 9mm pistol that was purchased as his Christmas present and was used to kill his classmates.

Ethan Crumbley was 15 at the time of the shooting at Oxford High School. He pleaded guilty in 2022 to four counts of first-degree murder and other charges and was sentenced to life in prison without parole last year. Credit: Oakland County Sheriff’s Office

Shannon Smith, the attorney for Jennifer Crumbley, argued that she was not responsible for buying or storing the gun used by her son in the shootings, that there were no real warning signs that he would kill his classmates and that she could not have reasonably foreseen that the crime would take place.

Jennifer Crumbley testified in her own defense, saying her husband was responsible for securely storing firearms in the family home and that while her son had been anxious about getting into college and what he would do with his life, she did not think his problems merited seeing a psychiatrist.