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Michigan high school shooting suspect to appear in court Monday

School Shooting Michigan
Posted at 9:51 AM, Dec 13, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-13 11:55:29-05

DETROIT — The 15-year-old suspect in the deadly Oxford High School shooting rampage last month, Ethan Crumbley, is expected to be back in court on Monday.

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He is charged as an adult in the murders of his four classmates – Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana, Madisyn Baldwin, and Justin Shilling – and the shooting of seven other people at the school on Nov. 30.

His parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, who are charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, are expected to be back in court on Tuesday.

Ethan's court hearing is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. for a probable cause conference. It's the next step in his case.

There's a possibility that his court-appointed attorney could seek a mental competency exam.

He's facing charges including four counts of first-degree murder, one count of terrorism, and more.

"I have to make sure my client understands every single piece of evidence that's going to be potentially against him, and that's my job as a defense attorney," Paulette Michel Loftin said to us on Dec. 8. "It's not as though I'm defending his actions. I'm defending him to make sure his rights are preserved."

Prosecutors and the defense acknowledge the magnitude of this case.

We have also learned that Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald will appear in court for the hearing.

James and Jennifer are represented by their attorneys. Their probable cause hearing is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. Tuesday.

Prosecutors say his parents bought Ethan the handgun days before it was used in the school shooting. After they were charged, they were found hiding at an art studio in Detroit by U.S. Marshals.

After today, Ethan's next court date is set for Dec. 20. That's where a judge would hear evidence and decide whether or not there's enough evidence to send him to trial. It's possible the case could be put on hold if his attorney seeks a mental competency exam.

Peter Maxwell at WXYZ in Detroit, Michigan, first reported this story.