OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – More than two years ago, an Oxford High School student brought a gun to school and murdered four students and injured seven other people.
The shooter has since pleaded guilty to 24 felony charges, including first-degree murder and terrorism causing death. A sentencing hearing is scheduled to begin on Friday, Dec. 8, and the shooter faces the possibility of life in prison without the chance for parole.
Survivors, victims, and others impacted by the shooting will be allowed to give victim impact statements during the hearing. Because of that, the hearing could last hours, days, or even weeks -- depending on how many people speak.
Here is a timeline of events that followed the Oxford High School shooting:
Nov. 30, 2021
At 12:51 p.m. on Nov. 30, 2021, a shooter opened fire at Oxford High School. There was a massive police response and the shooter was quickly taken into custody.
14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 16-year-old Tate Myre, 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin, and 17-year-old Justin Shilling were killed. Shilling was pronounced dead the next day. Six students and one teacher were injured in the shooting.
Dec. 1, 2021
A 15-year-old sophomore from Oxford High School was identified and officially charged in connection with the shooting. He was charged as an adult with one count of terrorism causing death, four counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of assault with intent to murder, and 12 counts of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He made his first appearance in court that day. A not guilty plea was entered, bond was denied, and he was transferred to the Oakland County Jail.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said school officials met with the shooter’s parents the morning of the shooting due to “concerning” behavior. He said police didn’t learn about any potential warning signs until after the shooting. Prosecutors announced that they were considering charges against the shooter’s parents.
Dec. 2, 2021
Overnight into Thursday morning, dozens of other schools around Southeast Michigan temporarily closed their doors due to threats.
Dec. 3, 2021
A prosecutor issued involuntary manslaughter charges against the shooter’s parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley. Judge Julie Nicholson approved a warrant to take the couple into custody. They couple did not immediately turn themselves in to police and a search ensued. A “be on the lookout” alert was sent to law enforcement about 3 p.m. Friday. About an hour later the couple’s attorneys, Shannon Smith and Mariell Lehman, released a statement explaining their clients had left town, but planned to return. The U.S. Marshals joined the search.
Dec. 4, 2021
The shooter’s parents were taken into custody before 2 a.m. on Dec. 4, 2021, after a search on Detroit’s east side. They were arraigned later that day and pleaded not guilty to all four counts of involuntary manslaughter.
---> Everything we know about Oxford High School shooting -- timeline, charges, evidence, more
Dec. 7, 2021
The high school announced that it would use an outside firm to investigate the shooting. They turned down Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s first offer to have her office investigate the shooting.
Dec. 13, 2021
The shooter appeared in court virtually for a probable cause conference. His defense argued that he should be moved back to an Oakland County juvenile detention facility because he could hear adult inmates inside the jail. The judge denied the request. The probable cause conference was adjourned until Jan. 7, 2022, so defense and prosecution could review evidence.
Dec. 14, 2021
The shooter’s parents appeared in court for a probable cause conference. Judge Julie Nicholson agreed to adjourn the next hearing in their case to Feb. 8, 2022, per the request of Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald who said more evidence must be reviewed and more witnesses must be interviewed. The preliminary exam originally was scheduled for Dec. 22, 2021.
Jan. 7, 2022
The shooter and both of his parents each made appearances in court. The shooter waived his right to a preliminary hearing, which meant his case would go right to trial. His parents appeared in court to request a bond reduction. Their request was denied, and the judge said their bond would stay at $500,000 each.
Jan. 10, 2022
Oxford students began a gradual return to school 41 days after the mass shooting. Oxford Middle School students returned to school and were placed on a hybrid schedule.
Jan. 12, 2022
The shooter appeared virtually for an Oakland County Circuit Court arraignment on felony charges. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf.
Jan. 27, 2022
The family of Tate Myre appeared at a news conference announcing a civil lawsuit against the school and officials tied to the shooting. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Oxford High School students and their families.
Feb. 8, 2022
The shooter’s parents were in court all day as part of a hearing to determine if they will face trial. Attorneys for the couple asked the judge to consider a postponement, but the motion was denied and the hearing proceeded with witnesses. Several witnesses testified.
Feb. 22, 2022
The shooter appeared in court in person as a judge considered a request to transfer him out of the Oakland County Jail. His lawyers argued that he should be moved to the Children’s Village juvenile detention facility because he could hear adult inmates inside the jail. A judge previously denied this request.
Feb. 24, 2022:
The shooter’s parents appeared in court again to continue the preliminary hearing.
March 1, 2022
The shooter’s request to be transferred to the Oakland County Children’s Village was denied. He was ordered to remain in the Oakland County Jail.
---> Who is responsible for getting Oxford school shooter an education while behind bars?
Oct. 11, 2022
Attorneys for James and Jennifer Crumbley filed appeals with the state Supreme Court in an effort to strike down the charges against them. Defense attorneys for the parents continued to argue that prosecutors cannot legally draw a connection between the parents and the involuntary manslaughter charges against them.
Oct. 21, 2022
The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office made it clear that the shooter was expected to plead guilty to all charges during his next court appearance.
Oct. 24, 2022
The shooter, at 16 years old, pleaded guilty to two dozen felony charges, including murder and terrorism, during a pretrial court hearing. Defense attorneys spoke for the shooter, who was 15 years old at the time of the shooting, and said he agreed to have the not guilty pleas replaced with guilty pleas.
---> Here’s what the Oxford shooter’s attorney said after he pleaded guilty to all charges
Oct. 28, 2022
The parents of the shooter appeared in court for a hearing about expert witnesses for the prosecution. An expert witness that has studied every mass shooting since 1966 said that shooters don’t just snap. She argued that there are signs that lead up to these shootings including agitation, isolation, and abusive behavior. Prosecutors in this case say the shooter exhibited all of these signs and that the parents should have picked up on it.
Nov. 30, 2022
The Oxford community marked one year since the deadly shooting.
---> How Tate Myre, Justin Shilling families are coping after the Oxford High School shooting
Dec. 9, 2022
Defense attorneys for the shooter’s parents once again requested a lower bond. They argued that the parents were incorrectly identified as a flight risk as they await trial.
July 27, 2023
A special hearing was held in which a judge would determine how to sentence the shooter. The so-called Miller hearing must be held when a minor is convicted of first-degree murder and faces life in prison. In the case of the Oxford shooter, the judge would use the hearing to consider if the shooter’s age will play a role in his sentencing.
---> Oxford shooter explains plans to ‘kill everyone’ in video recorded day before shooting
July 28, 2023
The Miller hearing resumed Friday morning. The prosecution and defense continued to argue for and against a sentence of life prison without parole, respectively, for the shooter on day two of his mandatory Miller hearing.
---> Prosecutors continue push for life sentence without parole for Oxford shooter in Miller hearing
Aug. 1, 2023
The shooter returned to court for the third day of his mandatory Miller hearing. The judge did not immediately issue a decision on whether to sentence the minor to life without parole, or to a term of years in prison instead.
---> ‘I can’t ignore what happened’ -- Prosecutor discusses Oxford High School shooter
Aug. 18, 2023
The shooter’s Miller hearing wrapped up following four days of testimony spread out over several weeks. The judge did not announce a decision from the Miller hearing, but did set a tentative December sentencing date.
Sept. 29, 2023
The judge decided that the Oxford shooter can be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, despite his age. Judge Kwamé Rowe issued his decision on Sept. 29, 2023, after considering several so-called Miller factors. The judge sided with prosecutors, who have been seeking the harshest possible sentence for the shooter. An official sentencing was scheduled for Dec. 8, 2023. At the sentencing hearing, victims will be allowed to make victim impact statements.
Oct. 30, 2023
A 572-page third-party report found that the Oxford High School shooting could have been prevented if proper training and guidelines had been in place. The report said systemic failures from the top down when it comes to school policy in threat assessments and suicide intervention played a prominent role in what happened on Nov. 30, 2021. A PDF of the report is available here.
---> Parents of murdered Oxford students confront superintendent over new investigative report
Nov. 30, 2023
The Oxford community marked two years since the deadly shooting.
---> 2 years later, Oxford High School shooter faces possible life sentence
What’s next?
The sentencing hearing is set to begin on Dec. 8, 2023. The shooter faces a possible sentence of life in prison without the chance for parole after pleading guilty to 24 felony charges, including first-degree murder and terrorism causing death. It’s not clear how long the hearing will last, but potentially hundreds of victims could make impact statements in court.
---> Why Oxford shooter’s sentencing hearing could take a while
The latest coverage on the Oxford High School shooting can be found here.