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Parents of accused Oxford High School shooter appear in court for preliminary hearing

Hearing to determine if Crumbleys will face trial

Jennifer and James Crumbley, the parents of Ethan Crumbley, a teenager accused of killing four students in a shooting at Oxford High School, appear in court for a preliminary examination on involuntary manslaughter charges in Rochester Hills, Mich., Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) (Paul Sancya, Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – The parents of a teenager who is accused of killing four students at a Michigan school were in court all day Tuesday as part of a hearing to determine if they will face trial.

Attorneys for James and Jennifer Crumbley asked a judge to consider a postponement so they could further prepare. But the motion was denied and the hearing proceeded with witnesses.

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The hearing began Tuesday, with several witnesses testifying. Due to the number of exhibits being examined in the hearing, it was stopped around 4:30 p.m.

The examination will continue at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 24. The judge said the full day has been cleared specifically for this case, but if it’s necessary to add a third day, that will be discussed at the time.

The Crumbleys are charged with involuntary manslaughter. They’re accused of making a gun accessible to Ethan Crumbley and failing to intervene when he showed signs of mental distress.

Full coverage: Oxford High School shooting

Four students at Oxford High School were killed and more were injured on Nov. 30. Earlier that day, the Crumbleys declined to take Ethan home when they were confronted with their son’s drawings of violence. School officials allowed him to stay but told the parents to get him help.

Their attorneys insist the Crumbleys didn’t know that a shooting was in the works and didn’t make the gun easy to find at home.

Judge Julie Nicholson must decide whether there's enough evidence to send the parents to the trial court in Oakland County.

Separately, Ethan Crumbley is charged as an adult with murder and other crimes. His lawyers filed a notice of an insanity defense, which will likely freeze his case while he is examined by experts.

The high school, roughly 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Detroit, reopened on Jan. 24, nearly two months after the shooting.


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