Alleged Oxford High School shooter to assert insanity defense

by Caroline Vakil - 01/27/22 1:57 PM ET

The lawyers for Ethan Crumbley, who is charged with fatally shooting four students and injuring seven at a Michigan school in late November, filed a notice on Thursday signaling that their client will be asserting an insanity defense, The Associated Press reported.

Crumbley was charged as an adult with murder, among other charges, following the shooting.

Mental health exams will likely follow the notice, the news wire noted.

The 15-year-old suspect was also hit with another lawsuit filed on behalf of the parents of one of the four students who died from the shooting, Tate Myre, as well as the parents of several other students who were at the school when the shooting took place, the AP reported.

The parents of Crumbley — Jennifer and James Crumbley — and several Oxford High School school officials are also named as defendants in the case.

The lawsuit accuses Jennifer and James Crumbley and school officials — including three teachers, the dean of students and two counselors from Oxford High School — of negligence.

The lawsuit said that “the negligence of the Oxford Defendants was a proximate cause” of the death of Myre. The lawsuit noted that one of the students, Keegan Gregory, “suffered severe anxiety and emotional distress and is now suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder” after seeing another student shot.

The lawsuit added that two other students, Sophia Kempen and Grace Kempen, “suffered severe emotional distress, post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep disturbance, nightmares, fear of attending school, inability to enjoy movies and games that reprise the shooting incident at Oxford and fear of any loud, sudden noises such as fireworks” as a “direct and proximate consequence” for knowing several people who had been wounded or killed and being close to the same fate themselves.

The lawsuit seeks $25,000 in damages.

A spokesperson for Oxford Community Schools told The Hill that their attorney was reviewing the lawsuit.

“Our focus is the safe and gradual return to school so all Oxford students can continue their educational journeys and continue to heal. Our attorney is reviewing the lawsuit and we will not be commenting until that review is complete,” Dani Stublensky, Oxford Community Schools spokesperson, said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with those who were killed and injured and all those who were affected by the tragic events of Nov. 30.”

The development comes after Crumbley was hit with 24 charges in connection to the fatal shooting at Oxford High School on Nov. 30.

Crumbley’s parents have also been hit with four charges each of involuntary manslaughter, and have pleaded not guilty.

The Hill has reached out to Crumbley’s attorney and the law firm representing Crumbley’s parents for comment.

— Updated Jan. 28 at 4:26 p.m.

Tags Ethan Crumbley James Crumbley Jennifer Crumbley Michigan Oxford High School