Jennifer Crumbley trial: Mother Michigan school shooter takes stand

Mother of Michigan school shooter testifies that son never told her he needed mental health help before shooting.

Jennifer Crumbley testified on Thursday that her son never expressed any concerns about his mental health before opening fire at Oxford High School in Michigan, killing four students and injuring several others. She and her husband, James Crumbley, are each facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting. Jennifer described her son as a "history buff" who enjoyed video games, metal detecting, bowling, and coin collecting. She acknowledged that he struggled with his grades, but said he never indicated that he needed mental health help. She addressed text messages in which her son appeared to exhibit paranoid behavior, dismissing them as "just messing around" and attributing them to his belief that the family's home was haunted. She also denied that Ethan had ever asked her or James for mental health help before the shooting. Jennifer confirmed that she was having an affair with a longtime friend at the time of the shooting. The case is the first in which parents have been charged for a mass shooting carried out by their child. Ethan Crumbley pleaded guilty to two dozen charges, including terrorism and multiple counts of first-degree murder, and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors said that social media posts showed that Ethan planned the mass shooting at Oxford High School in advance. He shot and killed four students and injured seven others.

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