Prosecutor asks judge to bar use of Oxford school shooting suspect’s name in court because it gives him notoriety
‘The publicity generated by a school shooting... can inspire and motive at-risk individuals to commit similar acts of violence’
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A Michigan prosecutor wants to ban the use of the accused Oxford school shooter’s name during his parent’s trial for involuntary manslaughter to minimise “notoriety and attention” on the teenager.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald has asked a judge to prohibit Ethan Crumbley’s name from being said in court as she fears it may inspire copycat killers.
His parents James and Jennifer Crumbley are charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter for their alleged role in failing to prevent the deadliest high school shooting since Parkland in 2018.
In a court filing, Ms McDonald said Ethan Crumbley should be referred to as the “perpetrator,” the “defendant’s son”, or “James and Jennifer’s son” during their trial.
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“School shooters often seek notoriety and attention in committing their egregious acts,” Ms McDonald said.
“The publicity generated by a school shooting notably gives the perpetrator the notoriety that they sought, but also can inspire and motive at-risk individuals to commit similar acts of violence.”
Ethan Crumbley is charged with 24 counts including terrorism and first-degree murder after allegedly shooting four students dead at Oxford High School on 30 November.
He has pleaded not guilty and plans to make an insanity defence.
Prosecutors say the parents bought their 15-year-old son the gun days earlier as an earlier Christmas present, left it “freely available” to him and ignored multiple warning signs about his disturbing behaviour in the lead-up to the shooting.
Six other students and a teacher were injured in the shooting.
Last month, Judge Julie Nicholson ruled there was sufficient evidence for the involuntary manslaughter charges to move forward to trial.
Prior to the shooting, Ethan Crumbley wrote in a journal about his plans to carry out the “biggest school shooting in Michigan’s history” and how he wanted his first victim to be “a pretty girl”.
“I will cause the biggest school shooting in Michigan’s history. I will kill everyone I f***ing see,” he wrote.
He added: “The first victim has to be to be a pretty girl with a future so she can suffer like me.”
Prosecutors pointed to the teenager’s repeated mentions of his parents’ lack of support for his struggles, saying that they “won’t help” or “listen to me”.
“I have zero help with my mental problems and it’s causing me to shoot the school. My parents won’t listen to me,” he wrote.
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