PONTIAC, Mich. – The Oxford High School shooter was sentenced Friday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering four students and injuring seven people in 2021.
On Nov. 30, 2021, a 15-year-old sophomore at Oxford High School brought a gun to the building and opened fire, killing four students -- 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 16-year-old Tate Myre, 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin, and 17-year-old Justin Shilling -- and injuring seven other people.
In October 2022, the shooter pleaded guilty to 24 felony charges. Oakland County Judge Kwamé Rowe ruled that the shooter was eligible to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, despite his age. The shooter’s sentencing hearing began Friday, Dec. 8
The judge’s decision came down after hours of emotional testimony from the families of victims and survivors of the shooting. Judge Rowe handed down the harshest possible sentence to the now-17-year-old shooter. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“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.”
---> Everything that happened during sentencing hearing for Oxford High School shooter
Hours of emotional testimony
In total, 29 people delivered victim impact statements during Friday’s hearing. This included family members of the four murder victims, survivors, and others impacted by the shooting.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said that initially, there were a lot more victims who intended to speak.
“I’m not sure if the court is aware, but there were a lot more victims who initially intended to voice their oral statements and as today approached -- and even today -- decided that wasn’t something they could do, which is further evidence of the trauma,” McDonald said.
---> Watch: Families of Oxford shooting victims speak at shooter’s sentencing hearing
Mother of Madisyn Baldwin speaks
Nicole Beausoleil, the mother of Madisyn Baldwin, was the first person to take the stand and deliver a victim impact statement.
“Nov. 30, 2021, is a day that has forever changed my life,” Beausoleil said. “It burns into my body like a cigarette burn. Enough to scar, but always a constant reminder: The day I found out that my daughter’s life was taken. A life that was so young and full of life. After that day, she became a statistic, a victim, a planned act of tragedy.”
Beausoleil talked about the moment she found out her daughter had been killed. Then, she addressed Judge Rowe and prosecutors, thanking them for their handling of the case.
---> ‘Your weakness consumes you’: Madisyn Baldwin’s mother addresses Oxford shooter at sentencing
Father, brother of Tate Myre speak
Buck Myre, the father of Tate Myre, was the next to take the stand. He talked about how he and his wife found out that their son had been killed.
“As we fight and claw our way through this journey, we are realizing we are completely miserable and there does not appear to be a way out, so to this day, you are winning,” he said. “But today is a day where the tides change. Today, we’re going to take ours back.”
Trent Myre, Tate’s oldest brother, spoke after his father. He did so wearing a shirt showing his brother in a football uniform.
“Nobody gets what we have gone through, and I hope to God no one does,” Trent Myre said. “I see someone that looks shady in public, I think of the 30th. I have someone behind me, I go in a public area -- almost everything is a trigger to what happened to my brother, and it makes me think of him.”
---> ‘We are miserable’: Father, brother of Tate Myre speak at Oxford shooter’s sentencing
Justin Shilling’s parents speak
Craig Shilling, the father of Justin Shilling, began by expressing how difficult it was for him to write his statement.
“For awhile thereafter, I struggled with dark thoughts and found myself completely lost in a seemingly endless sea of raging emotions, with no care as to what happened to me,” he said. “Grief had consumed me and has squeezed out every bit of joy and happiness in my life.”
Jill Soave, the mother of Justin Shilling, spoke next. She began by asking for a life sentence without parole for the shooter.
“The manner in which my son, Justin, was so coldheartedly, methodically executed shows clearly the pure evil and malice of the shooter,” she said. “For this act alone, Your Honor, he deserves life without parole.”
---> ‘He didn’t deserve to die this way’: Justin Shilling’s parents speak at Oxford shooter’s sentencing
Hana St. Juliana’s sister, father speak
Reina St. Juliana, the sister of Hana St. Juliana spoke next, first reading a statement on behalf of her mother. Reina St. Juliana then read her own victim impact statement.
“I am sorry that I cannot make you feel even a fraction of the world without Hana,” she said. “If I could, the shooter would be dead. The creature who left Hana lying in her own pool of blood, crying in pain, who went to go shoot her again, does not deserve to take another breath.
Hana St. Juliana’s father, Steve, spoke next.
“The defendant envisioned, researched, planned in detail, and then proceeded to execute his plot to murder and terrorize his fellow students,” he said. “He chose this course of action and carried out these murders simply to make himself feel better.”
---> ‘There can be no forgiveness’: Family of Hana St. Juliana speak at Oxford shooter’s sentencing
Survivors share their stories
Multiple students and a teacher who were shot and injured in the shooting shared statements at the sentencing hearing.
Kylie Ossege was a senior at Oxford High School when the Oxford shooter opened fire on students during school hours. She was shot in the attack and was severely injured. She talked about how the shooter took her innocence, and what her experience was like.
Riley Franz is a former Oxford High School student who was shot and injured in the Nov. 30, 2021, attack. She said the shooting has altered every aspect of her life.
There were three students who spoke during the sentencing hearing who were minors. Because they are minors, Local 4 is not sharing videos of their statements, and will not identify them.
Oxford High School teacher Molly Darnell was among those who provided victim impact statements. She spoke directly to the shooter and told him that he does not have the “power to destroy who I am. In my heart, I still carry love, joy, and hope.”
---> Full statements: Students shot by Oxford shooter share emotional statements at sentencing hearing
Closing statements
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald spoke on behalf of the prosecution. She used her time to ask the judge to sentence the shooter to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“Today was about victims. Today we learned their names, their faces, and we heard their voices. It’s been two years. Two years. The statements made here today are just a small portion of the victims and their statements are only brief, but they reflect hundreds and hundreds of others. I’m not sure if the court is aware, but there were a lot more victims who initially intended to voice their oral statements and as today approached -- and even today -- decided that wasn’t something they could do, which is further evidence of the trauma.
“There were common themes from these students. They don’t trust anyone anymore. They don’t trust any place anymore. They don’t think they’re safe. Some can’t sleep. Some have to sleep in their parents’ room. There’s a deep, deep loss -- loss of safety, loss of loved ones -- but most importantly, what I heard, was they lost themselves. And they’re working very hard to find who they were, with the acknowledgement that they will never be the same.”
---> Watch: Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald makes case for life sentence in Oxford shooting
The shooter’s lawyer-guardian ad litem, and two defense attorneys spoke on behalf of the shooter and asked the judge to sentence him to a term of years.
The shooter was allowed to speak in court Friday after listening to the victim impact statements and before learning his sentence. His full statement is available to read here.
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
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.
Full coverage of the Oxford High School shooting case is available here.