A Sense of Doubt blog post #2481 - We have a gun problem in this country

https://sensedoubt.blogspot.com/2019/08/a-sense-of-doubt-blog-post-1629-what.html

A Sense of Doubt blog post #2481 - We have a gun problem in this country

Guess what?

Today's post was already scheduled, and it was to be called "People Are Dying - Lots of People," and it addressed the issue of mass shootings.

And then my home state of Michigan made the news again when a 15-year-old in a school in the Metro Detroit area shot and killed four people and injured seven others with a gun his parents had just bought him as a Christmas present.

And right-wing-nuts are going to argue we don't have a gun problem in this country?

Why does this kind of violence keep happening?

In this specific case, the parents bought the gun, failed to secure it, had reason to believe their son would do something violent, left him at school, and then reported the gun missing AFTER he used it to kill people. Talk about denial.

This is terrible.

So, next week, I will add more on PEOPLE ARE DYING, LOTS OF PEOPLE.

For now... another tragedy and again, gun violence from my home state: Pure Michigan.

Michigan school shooting: Student kills four and wounds seven

A 15-year-old has killed four fellow students and injured seven others, including a teacher, in a high school shooting in the US state of Michigan.

The victims were named as Tate Myre, 16, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Hana St Juliana, 14. A fourth student - Justin Shilling, 17 - died on Wednesday.

Police allege the suspect, a pupil at the school, used a handgun that his father had bought on Friday.

No motive has yet been identified. A police update is expected on Wednesday.

Students have described hiding under desks during the attack.

Some students had reportedly stayed at home on Tuesday because of safety concerns.

Police received the first emergency calls from the high school in the town of Oxford, about 40 miles (65km) from Detroit, at 12:51 local time (17:51GMT).

Within minutes, more than 100 calls had been placed to emergency services.

Officials say the suspect surrendered five minutes after police were called when officers confronted the teenager in a school corridor.

No shots were fired during the arrest, and the suspect was not injured, police said, adding that he was carrying a semi-automatic handgun that still contained seven rounds of ammunition at the time.

The precise sequence of events remains unclear, but police said they believed the youth had carried the weapon into school in a backpack, and had emerged from a bathroom brandishing the gun.

Three students died in the attack: two girls, Madisyn Baldwin and Hana St Juliana, and Tate Myre, who died in a local deputy's car before the officer could get him to the hospital.

More than 32,000 people have signed an online petition to rename the school's stadium after Tate, who was one of Michigan's most promising young American footballers.

Two of the injured were undergoing surgery on Tuesday evening, while the other six were in a stable condition with gunshot wounds. A teacher whose shoulder had a graze wound had been discharged from hospital.

Oakland County Sheriff, Mike Bouchard, said that investigators were at a loss to explain what might have precipitated "an unspeakable and unforgivable" act of violence, adding that the suspect was not co-operating with authorities.

"The person that's got the most insight and the motive is not talking," he told reporters.

The boy had been told by his parents not to talk to police and officers were searching his home, police said.

All schools will be closed for the rest of the week and crisis support is being offered to students and parents.

"Of course I'm shocked. I'm devastated," said Oxford superintendent of schools Tim Throne.

Students stayed at home because of safety concerns

According to the Detroit Free Press newspaper, rumours had been circulating of a possible attack, and some students had decided not to attend classes on Tuesday.

Parent Jody Job told the paper that her son had skipped school because "he felt like something was going to go down".

Robin Redding told the Associated Press that her son had also missed classes due to concerns about safety.

"He was not in school today," she said. "He just said that 'Ma I don't feel comfortable. None of the kids that we go to school with are going today.'"

Police cautioned against speculating on the safety concerns before the investigation is complete.

President Joe Biden spoke about the shooting during a visit to Minneapolis, Minnesota.

"My heart goes out to the families enduring the unimaginable grief of losing a loved one," he said.

US shootings on school grounds have been ticking steadily upwards in recent years, according to pro gun-control group Everytown.

After a brief dip last year during coronavirus lockdowns, the number of such attacks has rebounded with 138 incidents of gunfire on school grounds so far in 2021.

More on this story

• America's gun culture in charts

Here's why the suspected Michigan school shooter has been charged with terrorism

By Shimon Prokupecz and Steve Almasy, CNN

Updated 5:17 AM ET, Thu December 2, 2021

Oxford, Michigan (CNN)Ethan Crumbley, who is accused of killing four fellow students at a Michigan high school, will be tried as an adult and faces murder, assault and weapons charges.

He will also face one count of terrorism causing death, a rare charge for a school shooting.

The events unfolded Tuesday at Oxford High School when, law enforcement officials say, the 15-year-old shot at people in a school hallway, firing more than 30 shots at people and through classroom doors. Three people died Tuesday and another passed away at a hospital Wednesday.

Seven others -- six students and a teacher -- were wounded, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.

The county's top prosecutor addressed the terrorism charge.

"There is no playbook about how to prosecute a school shooting and candidly, I wish I'd never even had -- it didn't occur so I wouldn't have to consider it, but when we sat down, I wanted to make sure all of the victims were represented in the charges that we filed against this individual," Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald told CNN. "If that's not terrorism, I don't know what is."

She said there is a lot of digital evidence in the case -- video and things on social media.

"But you probably don't even need to see that to know how terrifying it is to be in close proximity of another student shooting and killing fellow students. I mean, it's terror," she added.

"Like every other child that was in that building, and I address that about the terrorism charge, we must have an appropriate consequence that speaks for the victims that were not killed or injured but also, they were affected, how do they go back to school?"

She said many students can't eat or sleep.

"Their parents are sleeping next to them and we shouldn't ignore that," she told CNN. "There are obviously four children who were murdered and many others injured but over 1,000 were also victimized as well."

At Crumbley's arraignment Wednesday, prosecutor Marc Keast said Crumbley came out of a school bathroom and started firing. Crumbley walked down the hall at a "methodical pace" and fired more shots.

This continued for another four or five minutes and he went to another bathroom, Keast said. When deputies arrived, Crumbley put the gun down and surrendered, the prosecutor said.

The judge entered a plea of not guilty per his attorney's request.

Michigan law defines an act of terrorism as a "willful and deliberate act that is all of the following:"

"An act that would be a violent felony under the laws of this state, whether or not committed in this state.

"An act that the person knows or has reason to know is dangerous to human life.

"An act that is intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population or influence or affect the conduct of government or a unit of government through intimidation or coercion."

The criminal complaint against Crumbley refers to the third condition and says the act was committed against the Oxford High School community.

Charging an accused school shooter with terrorism is rare. In 2018, an Ocala, Florida student who shot through a door and wounded another student, was charged with terrorism and later pleaded no contest to that count and other charges.

That incident occurred two months after gunman Nikolas Cruz shot more than 30 people as he moved for more than 10 minutes through Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Cruz was charged with 34 counts of premeditated murder and attempted murder. He did not face a terrorism charge. He recently pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.

CNN's Shimon Prokupecz reported from Oxford and CNN's Steve Almasy reported and wrote in Atlanta. CNN's Carolyn Sung in Michigan and Kristina Squeglia contributed to this report.

James, left, and Jennifer Crumbley are shown during the video arraignment of their son, Ethan Crumbley in Rochester Hills, Mich., on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021.AP

The Chilling Alleged Role of the Michigan School Shooter’s Parents

“LOL, I’m not mad at you,” the mom allegedly texted her son about his ammo search. “You have to learn not to get caught.”

MARK FOLLMAN

On Tuesday, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley allegedly used a semiautomatic pistol to kill four students and wound seven other people at Oxford High School in Michigan. He faces murder and terrorism charges and will be tried as an adult. On Friday morning, Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald announced that her office will also prosecute Ethan’s parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, who are charged with four counts each of involuntary manslaughter. The case against them is a first of its kind in a high-profile school shooting. Like any other Americans facing criminal charges, the Crumbleys are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

It was already clear this week from initial evidence about the contours and timeline of the attack that the backdrop to this case was dark. But the new evidence detailed by McDonald on Friday was nonetheless shocking, even for close observers of the mass shootings phenomenon. For the past decade, I’ve studied scores of these attacks in my reporting for Mother Jones and for my forthcoming book on behavioral threat assessment, an emerging field that works to prevent mass shootings. I know of no other case involving such stark details of alleged parental negligence and involvement.

According to the criminal complaint described by McDonald at a press conference, the Sig Sauer 9mm pistol that Ethan used to kill fellow students was purchased by James Crumbley at a local gun store with his son present on November 26, four days before the rampage.  

“Just got my new beauty today,” Ethan posted on social media that same day, according to the complaint, along with photos of the Sig Sauer weapon.

“Mom and son day, testing out his new Christmas present,” Jennifer allegedly posted on social media the following day.

In the days leading up to the attack, an Oxford High teacher had “observed Ethan searching ammunition on his cellphone during class,” according to McDonald—a common warning behavior in school shooting cases. That prompted attempts by worried school officials to contact his parents via phone and email; the school got no response from the Crumbleys, said McDonald. Shortly after that outreach, Jennifer exchanged text messages with her son, according to McDonald.

“LOL, I’m not mad at you,” she allegedly texted to Ethan. “You have to learn not to get caught.”

By the morning of the shooting, graphically violent images Ethan had drawn in class prompted school officials to convene an urgent meeting with the Crumbleys and their son at the school. In his backpack, Ethan had the Sig Sauer and dozens of rounds of ammunition, according to prosecutors. Whether the parents may have suspected or been aware of that is unknown, but according to McDonald they did not ask about the whereabouts of the newly purchased weapon or inspect Ethan’s backpack. They left the high school, refusing a recommendation to take Ethan with them, according to McDonald. “He was returned to the classroom,” she said. Investigators further determined that the gun had been stored in an unlocked drawer in the Crumbley’s home. Prosecutors have not alleged that the parents were aware that Ethan planned to kill.

 longtime threat assessment expert I spoke with on Friday indicated that the scenario with the parents in Michigan appears to be highly unusual. The expert, who specializes in school security, said: “I’ve seen many uncooperative or belligerent parents over the years dealing with threat investigations, lots and lots of denial. It can understandably get emotional. But no, I cannot recall a case where there was this kind of enabling going on, from what this one looks like, at least at a distance. This looks next level.”

An attorney representing the Crumbleys did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

There is at least one prior high-profile case in which a parent purchased a gun for his son: Kipland Kinkel, a student who committed a mass shooting at Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon, in 1998, had obtained one of the weapons he possessed that way. Kinkel subsequently killed both of his parents at home the day before his rampage, in which he killed two students and wounded 25 other people. Kinkel remains in prison for life without chance for parole.

As of Friday afternoon, with Ethan Crumbley in jail and awaiting trial, local authorities announced that James and Jennifer Crumbley had not yet been arrested and that the county’s Fugitive Apprehension Team was searching for them along with the FBI and US Marshals Service. According to CNN, attorneys for the elder Crumbleys said in a statement that the couple had “left town on the night of the tragic shooting for their own safety” and were returning to be arraigned.

“I want to be very clear,” McDonald said on Friday, “that these charges are intended to hold the individuals who contributed to this tragedy accountable, and also send a message: that gun owners have a responsibility. When they fail to uphold that responsibility, there are serious and criminal consequences.” She added: “Justice for the victims and their families is at the forefront of today’s announcement. We need to do better in this country. We need to say, enough is enough.”

On Friday night, the US Marshals announced that the Crumbleys were fugitives and released wanted posters with up to $10,000 in rewards for help in their capture.

Early on Saturday morning the Crumbleys were arrested while hiding inside a Detroit warehouse. An unidentified person who allegedly may have helped them could also now face charges, the Detroit police chief said. The parents of the accused school shooter were arraigned Saturday morning and are being held on a combined $1 million bond.

Story updated, December 4, 2021, 7:30 a.m. PT.

US Marshals announce reward, release wanted posters for James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of the accused Oxford HS (Michigan) shooter pic.twitter.com/CbtWwdTHuj

— U.S. Marshals (@USMarshalsHQ) December 4, 2021

Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald addresses the media in her office, Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Pontiac, Michigan. Carlos Osorio/AP

Parents of Michigan School Shooting Suspect Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter

“The facts of this case are so egregious.”

NOAH Y. KIM

In a rare move, a prosecutor in Oakland County, Michigan, filed involuntary manslaughter charges against the parents of the 15-year-old student who allegedly shot and killed four of his classmates and wounded seven others at Oxford High School. Allison Anderman, director of local policy at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, told the New York Times that she couldn’t think of another time when the parents of a high-profile mass shooting suspect had been criminally charged in connection to the crime.

On Friday, prosecutor Karen D. McDonald filed four involuntary manslaughter charges against James and Jennifer Crumbley, one for each student killed. In a press conference detailing the reasons for the charge, McDonald said that Ethan and his father, James Crumbley, purchased a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol together from a local gun store on Black Friday. After the purchase, Ethan Crumbley reportedly posted a photo of the weapon to social media with a caption reading “just got my new beauty today” along with a heart emoji. Four days later, he allegedly used it to kill four people and injure seven more.

McDonald alleged that at some point prior to the shooting, a teacher had caught Ethan Crumbley searching for ammunition on his phone during class. Crumbley’s parents didn’t respond to two voicemails and an email from school authorities about the incident, but in text messages with her son, Jennifer Crumbley revealed that she’d learned what had happened, according to McDonald.

“Lol, I’m not mad at you, you have to learn not to get caught,” Jennifer Crumbley allegedly wrote. 

Prosecutor alleges parents of Oxford High School shooting suspect left gun unlocked and failed to take action on reports of disturbing behavior at school. The mother allegedly wrote in a text to him after one report: "lol I'm not mad at you, you have to learn not to get caught" pic.twitter.com/BiR9VTu1U7

— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 3, 2021

During the press conference, McDonald also outlined a timeline of key events on the day of the shooting: In the morning, one of Ethan Crumbley’s teachers found a drawing on his desk of a semiautomatic, a bullet, and a bleeding figure that so disturbed her she took a photo of it. The drawing allegedly contained the words, “the thoughts won’t stop, help me” and “blood everywhere.” 

James and Jennifer Crumbley were summoned for a meeting with school authorities and their son. The two parents “failed to ask their son if he had his gun with him or where his gun was located and failed to inspect his backpack for the presence of the gun which he had with him,” McDonald said. They also resisted the idea of their son leaving the school. 

When the news of the shooting had been made public, Jennifer Crumbley allegedly texted her son: “Ethan, don’t do it.” James Crumbley later called 9-1-1, saying that a gun was missing from his home and that he believed his son may be the shooter, according to McDonald.

McDonald said that the gun was stored unlocked in James and Jennifer Crumbley’s bedroom. But Michigan is one of many states that lacks a law requiring gun owners to lock away their firearms. Gun control advocates have pushed for such statutes, called child-access prevention laws, but have consistently run into strong opposition from guns rights groups like the National Rifle Association, which instead favor safety campaigns aimed at educating children and their parents. In 2017, NRA spokesperson Jennifer Baker said that her organization opposes “one-size fits all government mandates” and claimed that existing laws are enough. 

“I have tremendous compassion and empathy for parents who have children struggling,” McDonald said during the press conference. “I am, by no means, saying that an active shooter situation should always result in a criminal prosecution against parents. But the facts of this case are so egregious.”

If convicted, James and Jennifer Crumbley could face up to 15 years in prison.

Here's some previous content I have on this issue:

A Sense of Doubt blog post #1998 - Guns make everything worse: a more armed society is a more dead society


A Sense of Doubt blog post #1629 - WHAT JUST HAPPENED? Too Many Shootings...


A Sense of Doubt blog post #2060 - Pure Michigan - right-wing extremists plan to kidnap and murder Michigan governor


A Sense of Doubt blog post #2324 - Pro-Gun Nuts Tricked into being in anti-guns advertisement


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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2112.03 - 10:10

- Days ago = 2345 days ago

- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.