PONTIAC, Mich. – The Oxford High School shooter was sentenced Friday to life in prison without the chance for parole for murdering four students, injuring seven people, and launching a terrorist attack in 2021.
After hours of emotional testimony delivered at the shooter’s sentencing hearing on Dec. 8, Oakland County Judge Kwamé Rowe handed down the harshest possible sentence to the now-17-year-old shooter. Just following the two-year anniversary of the Nov. 30, 2021 massacre, the shooter has been sentenced to a life in prison for the 24 felonies he’s been convicted of.
The shooter will not ever be eligible for parole, according to the judge’s decision Friday.
“The terror that he caused in the state of Michigan, and in Oxford, is a true act of terrorism. Respectfully, the defendant is the rare juvenile before this court,” Judge Rowe said Friday, referencing the rarity of sentencing a minor to life in prison.
The judge said the court believes the sentence of life in prison is “in the best interest of justice, as well as proportionate to the needs of this case.”
The shooter’s convictions, sentences
The shooter pleaded guilty to 24 crimes in October 2022. Here are the sentences imposed for each of the counts, as of Dec. 8:
- One count of terrorism causing death -- life in prison without chance for parole.
- Four counts of first-degree murder -- life in prison without chance for parole.
- Seven counts of assault with intent to murder -- 18 years, 9 months to 80 years.
- 12 counts of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony -- 2 years for each count.
Terrorism causing death and first-degree murder both carry a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole in Michigan. Assault with intent to murder in Michigan carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, or imprisonment of any number of years.
A person’s first felony firearm conviction is punishable by up to 2 years in prison in Michigan. A second felony firearm conviction carries a 5-year sentence, while third and subsequent convictions carry 10-year sentences.
While it is not often that a minor is sentenced to life in prison without the chance for parole, the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office has been pushing for the harshest punishment possible. Throughout the legal process, prosecutors have maintained that the shooter meticulously planned and carried out the violent execution, and did so to bring himself pleasure and fame.
Defense attorneys have attempted to paint the shooter as a troubled and mentally ill child who had a difficult home life in hopes of allowing him the option of parole down the line. Though the defense’s efforts were largely unsuccessful, the prosecution has repeatedly agreed that the shooter’s parents were neglectful, but says the shooter is still responsible for his actions.
---> Transcript: Oxford shooter admits to premeditated murder, terrorism amid prosecutor questioning
From the sentencing hearing
During the sentencing hearing that began at 9 a.m. on Dec. 8, dozens of victims provided victim impact statements in the courtroom, just feet away from the shooter.
Family members of those killed shared emotional statements, describing their grief and loss. Some of the students and the teacher who were shot also described their experiences, and the ongoing recovery they still face.
Statements were also provided by several students and family members of students.
Click here to see most of the statements from the sentencing hearing.
Key facts
Here’s a synopsis of some key facts and events leading up to the sentencing:
- Who was killed: On Nov. 30, 2021, four students were fatally shot by the Oxford shooter: 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana; 16-year-old Tate Myre; 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin; and 17-year-old Justin Shilling, who was pronounced dead the day after the shooting.
- Who was hurt: Seven other people were injured in the shooting, including six students and one teacher.
- Shooter charged: The then-15-year-old shooter was charged with 24 felonies as an adult in Oakland County, Michigan. The charges included: 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.
- Shooter’s plea: The shooter initially pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. As he waited to stand trial on those charges, it became known that he intended to invoke a plea of insanity. Then, in October 2022, the shooter changed his plea to guilty on all charges against him. He admitted to all of the crimes, and was officially convicted of them.
- Miller hearing: Because the shooter is a minor facing a possible sentence of life in prison, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling dictates that his sentencing must be considered differently. A so-called Miller hearing had to be held so the judge could determine if any factors, such as the shooter’s age and home life, would impact his sentencing. Judge Rowe ultimately decided the shooter could be sentenced to life in prison.
- Sentencing: The shooter was sentenced on Friday, Dec. 8 to life in prison without the chance for parole.
Disturbing evidence against shooter
Throughout the years, prosecutors have shared disturbing evidence with the court, giving insight into the shooter’s thorough plans for the massacre, and his apparent desire for violence.
During the Miller hearing, prosecutors went through disturbing journal entries, text messages, and videos created by the shooter leading up to the tragic event. Some of this evidence has been shown in court throughout the last several months, but some evidence was new to the public. These writings were meant to help establish just how premeditated the violent attack was, and how much the shooter was looking forward to it.
Among that evidence was a video the shooter recorded the day before the shooting, in which he identified himself as the nation’s next mass school shooter, and explicitly outlined his plans and motive for the massacre.
---> Oxford shooter explains plans to ‘kill everyone’ in video recorded day before shooting
In many of the other documents, the shooter glorified weapons, violence, school shootings, and discussed how much he wanted to carry out the mass shooting.
The prosecution introduced several witnesses during the Miller hearing, including two high school students and an assistant principal who all directly experienced the shooting. Their emotional testimonies offered three perspectives of the horrific event, including details of their attempts to help students who were injured or killed, and the shooter’s actions. Many of those details were new to the public.
---> Oxford school staffer recalls shooting with ‘disbelief’ as judge considers sentence
While Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said she agrees it should be “exceedingly rare that a minor be sentenced to life without parole,” she and her team argue that the Oxford shooter is an exception and deserves the harshest punishment possible.
You can find more specific details and evidence in the articles linked below:
What was the Miller hearing?
Under Michigan law, the Oxford High School shooter is facing a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole after being convicted of 24 felonies in connection with the mass shooting. But before the shooter could be sentenced, a pre-sentencing hearing called a Miller hearing had to be held first, because he is a minor.
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling dictates that sentencing must be considered differently for people under the age of 18 years old who are facing life sentences without the chance for parole -- even if they are charged and convicted as an adult, like the Oxford shooter was. Thus, a Miller hearing was held in which an Oakland County judge heard arguments for and against handing down the harshest possible sentence for the shooter.
The hearing included multiple days of arguments and witness testimony that spanned several weeks in late July and August. The fourth and final day of the hearing took place on Aug. 18. During the four-day hearing, the judge was presented expert testimony and reports, research, data, eyewitness accounts and more.
Overall, the judge had to consider five main factors to determine if they would impact how the shooter is sentenced:
- The defendant’s chronological age and its hallmark features -- among them, immaturity, impetuosity, and failure to appreciate risks and consequences.
- The defendant’s family and home environment.
- The circumstances of the homicide offense, including the extent of the defendant’s participation in the conduct and the way familial and peer pressures may have affected the defendant.
- Whether the defendant might have been charged with and convicted of a lesser offense if not for incompetencies associated with youth.
- The defendant’s possibility of rehabilitation.
In the end, after considering the “Miller factors,” Judge Rowe ruled that the shooter could be sentenced to life in prison despite his age and circumstances.
---> Read more from the Miller hearing here
Shooter’s parents also charged
The shooter’s parents have been charged separately, accused of failing to take steps that could have prevented the mass school shooting. The mother and father each face four involuntary manslaughter charges for the four students murdered by their son.
The parents were scheduled to stand trial in January, but recently requested separate trials, which they were granted. It’s believed that they will still stand trial starting in January.
The parents were not allowed to attend their son’s sentencing hearing.
---> Oxford shooter’s mom asks court to exclude more evidence from her trial