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THE mom of Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley broke down in court on Thursday as she was confronted with video of her son’s rampage and his violent drawings.
Jennifer Crumbley, 45, is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of four students killed at Oxford High School on November 30, 2021.
She sat before the jury on Thursday morning as the court discussed whether the mother was aware of the warning signs that her son was a danger to students at the Michigan high school.
At one point, she was shown surveillance video of her son carrying out the sick shooting.
The mother had never seen the footage before and broke down in tears in the courtroom, per Detroit Free Press.
Prosecutors questioned Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Cheryl Matthews on whether Jennifer’s crying could have an influence on the jury.
However, Jennifer’s lawyer, Shannon Smith, jumped in, saying that neither she nor her client had seen the footage before.
“It’s horrific,” Smith yelled. “We’re doing our best.”
Judge Matthews agreed, adding that, “Everyone needs to take a deep breath.”
The judge then ordered a 10-minute break for everyone to gather their composure.
SICK ARTWORK
During the trial, Oakland County prosecutor Marc Keast told the jury that Ethan Crumbley’s parents met with school administrators hours before the shooting occurred.
The administrators informed Ethan’s parents that a teacher found a drawing on his desk of a semi-automatic gun and a person bleeding next to the words, “The thoughts won’t stop, help me.”
Keast told the jury that Jennifer failed to mention to the school’s administration during their meeting that her son had access to a gun.
Their meeting ended after 11 minutes and both parents declined to take their son home, per NBC News.
“Even though she didn’t pull the trigger on November 30, she’s responsible for those deaths,” Keast told the jury.
However, Jennifer’s lawyer argued that she “had no way to know what was going to happen.”
“The evidence is going to show you that Jennifer Crumbley did the best she could as a mother to a child who grew up into a teenager,” Smith said.
Ethan, now 17, was charged as an adult with four counts of first-degree murder, and one count of terrorism, among others for the shooting that killed Hana St. Juliana, 14, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, Tate Myre, 16, and Justin Shilling, 17.
He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Ethan’s father, James Crumbley, also faces involuntary manslaughter charges after Jennifer blamed him for helping their son buy a gun, according to prosecutors.
James’ trial is set to begin in March.
