Parents of Oxford High School Shooter Ignored Their Son's Needs

In a new filing, prosecutors say that the parents of alleged Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley were neglectful of their son.

According to the filing, obtained by CNN, prosecutors say James and Jennifer Crumbley “willfully ignored the needs and well-being of their son and the threat he posed to others.” The couple pleaded not guilty to each of the four counts of involuntary manslaughter charges brought against them.

The new filing came after the Crumbleys asked for an adjusted bond, which is currently set at $500,000. The filing also calls the parents a “greater risk of flight” and writes that they have “already shown that they will flee if they get the opportunity” since they recently sold their horses, and the fact that they owe $11,000 in back pay on their mortgage.

“Defendants were in a better position than anyone else in the world to prevent this tragedy, but they failed to do so,” the filing reads, with Oakland County, Michigan, Chief Assistant Prosecutor David Williams saying the bond was “set appropriately.”

The documents claim that they knew their son was battling depression and had a “fascinated with guns,” even when they visited and left Ethan’s school before the shooting occurred on Nov. 30. It highlighted the fact that he was “sadder than usual” in the six months leading up to the incident and that his parents weren’t paying attention to the 15-year-old, but rather their “own issues.”

“Instead of paying attention to their son and getting him help, they bought him a gun,” the filing says.

Ethan was charged as an adult in connection to the shooting, which left four students dead and seven injured. He pled not guilty to charges of murder and terrorism, in addition to other charges.