PONTIAC, Mich. (Court TV) — The teenager who pleaded guilty to murdering four students and injuring seven others in a mass shooting at a Michigan high school will learn his sentence on Friday.
Ethan Crumbley was 15 when he carried out the shooting at Oxford High School that killed four classmates and left others injured on Nov. 30, 2021. He pleaded guilty last year to 24 charges.
Ethan Crumbley appears in Oakland County Court, on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, in Pontiac, Mich. The judge will hear a fourth and final day of testimony Friday to determine whether Crumbley will get a life sentence for the fatal shooting of four students at a Michigan school in 2021. (Mandi Wright/Detroit Free Press via AP, Pool)
Following a hearing that spanned several days this summer, Judge Kwame Rowe ruled that Crumbley would be eligible for life in prison without parole. In his ruling, Rowe cited Crumbley’s planning for the shooting, including researching criminal penalties and “what is a life sentence for a 15-year-old.”
WATCH: Doctor Who Evaluated Ethan Crumbley on ‘Dysfunctional System’
A forensic psychiatrist who testified at the trial, Dr. Lisa Anacker, said that she didn’t believe Crumbley was mentally ill when he killed his classmates.
“What we don’t see is any signs of bizarre behavior, disorganized speech, responding to internal stimuli,” Anacker testified. “I can understand how it’s difficult to imagine how a sane person can commit mass murder, but research shows mental illness doesn’t account for most of the violence in our country.”
Friday’s hearing is expected to be lengthy and emotional, with as many as 40 people expected to deliver victim impact statements.
Crumbley’s parents, Jennifer and James Crumbley, have been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting. Prosecutors say they are culpable because they purchased the gun for their son and ignored his mental health needs.
