The defense attorney for Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley, quoted Taylor Swift lyrics in her opening statements on the first day of Jennifer’s criminal trial. Shannon Smith, Jennifer’s defense attorney, referenced Swift’s song “Bad Blood” to summarize the case, stating, “Band-Aids don’t stop bullet holes, and that’s what this case is about.” Jennifer and her husband, James Crumbley, are both charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter each in Oakland County after Ethan killed four students and injured seven others in a school shooting on November 30, 2021.
During the trial, Smith argued that the involuntary manslaughter charges filed against Jennifer were an attempt by prosecutors to cover up problems related to the school shooting. Smith claimed that charging Jennifer with involuntary manslaughter would not solve the underlying issues and was merely a way for the community to feel better and for the prosecution to send a message to gun owners. While acknowledging that Jennifer is “not a perfect parent,” Smith accused prosecutors of selectively using evidence to paint a negative picture of Ethan and his mother.
Emotions ran high in the courtroom as Jennifer broke down in tears while watching a video of her son walking through the school during the shooting. Prosecutors presented evidence that Jennifer and James purchased the gun used in the shooting as a Christmas gift for Ethan and alleged that Jennifer posted about the purchase on social media. They also highlighted Jennifer’s text messages to friends and colleagues, which indicated that she knew something was wrong with her son prior to the shooting.
On the morning of the shooting, James and Jennifer met with school counselors to discuss a disturbing drawing Ethan had made in class. Despite the concerns raised by the drawing, the Crumbleys chose not to take their son home. Ethan later retrieved a gun from his backpack and carried out the shooting. Assistant prosecutor Marc Keast emphasized that Jennifer was responsible for the deaths, even though she did not physically pull the trigger. He clarified that Jennifer was not charged with murder but with involuntary manslaughter, as there was no claim that she knowingly gifted her son a firearm for the purpose of a mass shooting.
The trial also revealed text messages exchanged between Jennifer and acquaintances, which showed her discussing plans to take Ethan to a horse farm after school on the day of the shooting. After learning that her son was the suspected shooter, Jennifer sent messages expressing shock and concern, including statements that the gun and bullets were gone and that Ethan did it.
The Crumbleys became fugitives after the shooting, but their attorneys argued that they fled for their own safety and turned themselves in several days later. They maintained that the parents could not have predicted their son’s plan to commit a mass shooting. Ethan himself, during his sentencing in December 2023, stated that his parents were not to blame because they were unaware of his plans.
The trial continues, and the outcome will determine Jennifer Crumbley’s legal responsibility in the tragic school shooting.
