On November 30, 2021, Ethan Crumbley, age 15, armed with a semi-automatic handgun murdered four students and injured seven people, including a teacher, at Oxford High School in a Detroit suburb. In December 2023, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. This child will never have a chance to live a normal life.
In 2024, both of his parents were convicted of involuntary manslaughter for giving the underage, mentally ill 15-year-old a gun as a gift (the law at the time prohibited anyone under 18 from owning a gun). The parents did not properly store the gun, resulting in the mass shooting that occurred four days later. On the day of the shooting, Ethan was sent to the principal’s office after a teacher noticed on his math homework that he had drawn a gun, a shooting victim, and messages about evil thoughts. After the parents had been summoned to the office, they neglected to tell school officials that Ethan possessed a gun and refused to take Ethan home. Ethan then emerged from the bathroom and commenced his shooting spree.
The charges prosecutors brought against the mother and father sought to prove that the parents ignored critical cues that could have prevented the mass murder. The court-appointed psychologist likened Ethan to a feral child. The parents had neglected Ethan and raised him in a turbulent home. This was the first time in the U.S. that parents have been convicted for their child’s mass shooting.
At the same time, school officials were not charged despite the fact that they noted his backpack was heavy but never searched it. The backpack contained the fateful gun.
We are a punishment-driven society. America has the highest incarceration rate in the world, 5 to 10 times higher than other democracies and Western Europe. Yet, imprisonment for this problem is akin to blasting a foot of snow off the iceberg that would destroy the Titanic.
Rather than focus on punishment, we need to focus on prevention of gun deaths. There are a number of organizations that are working tirelessly to do so, Everytown for Gun Safety, Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Sandy Hook Promise, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Giffords, and the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, to name a few. These organizations are focused on laws that would have prevented this tragedy. In particular, just two laws would have prevented this tragic violence.
Child-access/secure storage: Many organizations are championing laws to control child access through secure storage. Twenty six states, including Maryland (which was passed over then Governor Hogan’s veto) require that adults safely secure guns to prevent children from accessing them without adult supervision. (A child is typically defined as under 18.) After passing these laws, some areas reported that gun-related accidents and injuries were reduced by 85%. Had Michigan had this law (they passed one in 2024), it would have been illegal for Ethan to have access to that gun.
Minimum age restrictions:. The Federal Government has a minimum age restriction of 21 to purchase a handgun from a licensed firearm dealer. However, it allows an 18 year old to purchase a long gun, including an assault weapon from a licensed gun dealer. For some reason, unlicensed dealers may sell any gun to an 18 year old. Maryland has the same age limits but prohibits an 18 year old from purchasing an assault weapon. Apparently gun gifts to children are not uncommon. Nevertheless, the law was in effect, but obviously not enforced, in Michigan at the time 15-year old Ethan was given his gun.
There are other initiatives, such as background checks, assault weapon bans, and increasing the parameters that prevent some people from acquiring guns. There are many states that have no laws supporting responsible gun ownership. And Federal laws are weak. For example, the Brady Act requires licensed gun dealers to perform background checks, but not unlicensed dealers. Some states, such as Maryland, have expanded background checks, but the majority of states have not done so.
The sad fact is that these tragedies will continue to occur; parents will lose their children, people will shake their heads, and yet some of this violence can be prevented by a few common-sense laws.
So which makes more sense? Admittedly the Crumbleys were terrible parents. Ethan was a disturbed, lonely boy with a gun. But throwing them in jail doesn’t solve the problem, it only shows us as what we are as a country…blamers, punishers. How about we become fixers instead?
Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.
Donald Simon says
Such an extremely important article. That makes me sad and angry about the ability to purchase automatic weapons and for people to buy through private gun dealers with our background checks and more. If we don’t speak up and take praceful action, we get more of the same