Dad who bought gun his son used in deadly school shooting found guilty | US News

During James’ trial, prosecutors zeroed in on the Sig Sauer 9 mm handgun he bought four days before the massacre. Prosecutors also delved into the couple’s response to a drawing Ethan made on his math assignments hours before opening fire.

‘James Crumbley was presented with the easiest, most glaring opportunities to prevent the deaths of these four students,’ Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald said during closing arguments on Wednesday.

‘And he did nothing.’

Ethan’s drawing depicted a gun and a wounded man and included the text, ‘The thoughts won’t stop. Help me. My life is useless.’ Ethan told a counselor that he was sad over his dog and grandmother’s deaths and that the sketch was for a video game.

He and his parents did not tell school officials about the gun James had purchased. A school administrator joked about Ethan’s backpack being heavy, but did not look inside. Ethan pulled the gun from his bag that day and shot dead Justin Shilling, 17; Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Hana St Juliana, 14; and Tate Myre, 16.

His attorney, Mariell Lehman, told the jury to consider what he did not know leading up to the mass shooting.

‘You heard no testimony, and you saw no evidence, that James had any knowledge that his son was a danger to anyone,’ said the defense attorney.