Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley may be sentenced to life without parole

Crumbley killed four classmates in 2021 mass shooting at his high school in Oxford

Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley could be sentenced to life without any possibility of parole for murdering four of his classmates in a horror attack.

Judge Kwamé Rowe ruled in a court hearing in Michigan on Friday that prosecutors had proven that life without parole is an appropriate sentence for the killer – who was 15 at the time of the mass shooting.

“The prosecution has rebutted the presumption, by clear and convincing evidence, that a sentence to life without parole is a disproportionate sentence,” he said.

The judge said that Crumbley had an “obsession with violence” before the school shooting, pointing to “disturbing evidence” including his own description of finding torturing a baby bird somewhere “between good and pleasurable”.

Judge Rowe also cast doubts on the possibility that Crumbley could be rehabilitated saying there was no evidence that he wants to change and that his propensity for violence had continued behind bars.

Since July, a Miller hearing has been taking place in the case to determine whether Crumbley should be sentenced to life with or without the possibility of parole.

Under Michigan state law, juveniles convicted of first-degree murder cannot automatically be sentenced to life in prison without parole – but prosecutors must prove that it is an appropriate sentence for the crime.

After multiple hearings, where the court has heard details of Crumbley’s upbringing and apparent mental health issues, the judge sided with the state agreeing that it is reasonable for the mass shooter to never walk free from prison.

Now, Crumbley will return to court to be sentenced on 8 December.

Crumbley was charged as an adult with 24 counts including terrorism and first-degree murder following the 30 November 2021 attack on Oxford High School.

The then-15-year-old took a firearm that his parents had bought him as an early Christmas present into school in his backpack that day.

He then opened fire in the hallways and bathroom, killing four students Hana St. Juliana, 14; Tate Myre, 16; Madisyn Baldwin, 17; and Justin Shilling, 17.

Seven other victims were wounded in the attack, which at the time marked the deadliest school shooting in America since Parkland in 2018.

Ethan Crumbley at a Miller hearing in Michigan in August (AP)

When officers responded to the scene, Crumbley was taken into custody without incident.

Following the massacre, several chilling details emerged about Crumbley and his behaviour prior to the carrying out the heinous attack.

The mass shooter had been given the firearm as an early Christmas present from his parents on Black Friday – just days before the attack – and had boasted about it on social media.

One day before the shooting, a teacher at Oxford High School had caught Crumbley searching for ammunition online on his phone.

His parents were called by the school, but his mother simply texted him: “LOL. Just don’t get caught.”

Then, on the morning of the shooting, his parents were called into the school for a meeting with staff, counsellors and the teenager after a teacher found he had created drawings of a shooting victim, gun and bullet and the phrase “the thoughts won’t stop, help me”.

Both Crumbley’s parents and the school have come under fire for their bungled response.

His parents refused to take him home, school staff failed to search his bag – which contained the firearm – and he was allowed to return to class.

Only a few hours later, Crumbley went on his shooting rampage at the school.

More chilling details surfaced throughout the Miller hearing, after Crumbley pleaded guilty to the charges – avoiding trial.

Back in July, the court heard disturbing audio recordings that Crumbley had recorded on the night before the shootings.

In one of the recordings, he is heard boasting about trying to kill as many students as he can.

“My name is Ethan Crumbley, age 15, and I am going to be the next school shooter,” he says.

An image from Crumbley’s journal (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

“I’ve thought about this a lot. I can’t stop thinking about it. But it’s constantly in my head.”

In a second audio, he says: “I’m gonna have so much fun tomorrow.”

The contents of his journal also uncovered more drawings of shooting victims in the head.

Crumbley’s parents James and Jennifer Crumbley are currently awaiting trial after – in an unprecedented move – they too were charged in connection to the shooting

In the days after the mass shooting, the Crumbley parents went on the run before they were tracked down.

The Crumbleys are each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter for each of the four victims.

Prosecutors said that they bought their son the gun used in the massacre, left it accessible to him, ignored multiple warning signs about his disturbing behaviour and poor mental health in the lead-up to the shooting, and failed to warn the school that he had access to a gun when they were called in about his disturbing behaviour.

They have both pleaded not guilty to the charges.