Jury to deliberate fate of US woman after she gave son the gun used in mass school shooting

A jury is set to deliberate the fate of US mother Jennifer Crumbley, who is on trial for manslaughter, after her son killed four people at a US high school in 2021.

It comes after an intense cross-examination where Ms Crumbley, 45, admitted she and her husband, James Crumbley, 47, gave their son the firearm, which was later used in the attack at Oxford High School in Michigan.

“We didn’t just hand him a gun as ‘here you go son,’” she testified. “It was something he could use when we went to the [gun] range as a family."

On the afternoon of November 30, 2021, Ethan Crumbley, now 17, was at school when he pulled the gun from his backpack and shot ten students and a teacher, killing four of his peers.

The teenager pleaded guilty to murder and terrorism and is currently serving a life sentence.

Mr and Mrs Crumbley are the first parents in the US to be charged with involvement in a crime in this way. Mr Crumbley will face trial in March.

Last week, the court heard the school was concerned about a drawing of a gun, bullet and wounded man, accompanied by desperate phrases, on a piece of his work.

Prosecutors added Ms Crumbley was grossly negligent when she failed to tell the school the family had guns despite having met with teachers in regards to the drawing.

“He literally drew a picture of what he was going to do. It says, ‘Help me,’” prosecutor Karen McDonald said during closing arguments on Friday.

Ms Crumbley knew the gun in the drawing was identical to the new one at home, Ms McDonald said.

“She knew it wasn't stored properly," the prosecutor added. “She knew that he was proficient with the gun. She knew he had access to ammunition.”

“Just the smallest steps” by Ms Crumbley could have saved the lives of Hana St. Juliana, Tate Myre, Justin Shilling and Madisyn Baldwin, the prosecutor said.

Defense attorney Shannon Smith told jurors the tragedy was not foreseeable.

Ethan Crumbley was a “skilled manipulator” who didn’t have mental illness, and the gun was the responsibility of Mr Crumbley, Ms Smith said.

“Unfortunately this is a case where the prosecution made a charging decision way too fast,” Smith said. “It was motivated by obvious reasons, for political gain and done for media attention.”

She said the case won’t bring justice to the victims or their families: “It certainly doesn’t bring back any lives.”

The maximum penalty for involuntary manslaughter is 15 years in prison. Mr and Mrs Crumbley have been in jail for more than two years while awaiting trial.

Besides knowledge of the gun, the pair are accused of ignoring their son's mental health needs. In a journal found by police in his backpack, he wrote they wouldn't listen to his pleas for help.

“I have zero help for my mental problems and it’s causing me to shoot up the...school,” Ethan wrote.

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