Authorities are searching for the parents of a teenager accused of killing four people in a Michigan high school shooting earlier this week, the sheriff's office said Friday.
As of Friday afternoon, authorities said they were searching for the couple. Sheriff Mike Bouchard said their attorney, Shannon Smith, had agreed to arrange their arrest if charges were filed but hadn't been able to reach them.
Earlier Friday, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald announced that James and Jennifer Crumbley, parents of 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, had been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter.
“While the shooter was the one who entered the high school and pulled the trigger, there are other individuals who contributed to the events on Nov. 30, and it’s my intent to hold them accountable as well," McDonald said at a news conference.
Under Michigan law, an involuntary manslaughter charge can be pursued if prosecutors believe someone contributed to a situation where harm or death was high. If convicted, they could face up to 15 years in prison.
McDonald said the gun used in the shootings at Oxford High School was purchased by James Crumbley a week ago and given to the boy.
The 15-year-old was returned to his classroom and later emerged from a bathroom, firing a gun at students. He is charged with murder and other charges.
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McDonald said Jennifer Crumbley sent her son a text, saying "Ethan, don't do it."
Their son has been charged as an adult with two dozen crimes, including murder, attempted murder and terrorism, for the shooting Tuesday at Oxford High School in Oakland County, roughly 30 miles north of Detroit.
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Four students were killed and seven more people were injured. Three were in hospitals in stable condition.
The semi-automatic gun was purchased legally by Crumbley’s father last week, according to investigators.
