Michigan School Shooting Suspect Ethan Crumbley Brought Bird's Head, Ammo to School Ahead of Massacre: Lawsuit
Ethan Crumbley, who is accused of killing four students at Oxford High School in Michigan, showed multiple red flags that school officials ignored, a lawsuit claims.
The new version of the lawsuit filed last Friday claimed that Crumbley was found to have brought a severed bird head in a mason jar with a yellow liquid to school weeks before the shooting and left the jar on a toilet paper dispenser in the boy's bathroom.
The bird's head was allegedly reported to school administration officials and principal Steven Wolf, in particular, according to Law and Crime.
School Officials Allegedly Failed to Take Action on Concerns About Ethan Crumbley
The school administration sent an email to parents saying they had reviewed every concern and investigated all information provided. The school administration added that they wanted the parents and students to know that there has been no threat "to our building nor our students."
Despite assurances, many parents were not comforted by the emails from school administrators. One parent allegedly told Wolf on November 16 that their kid does not feel safe at school, noting that the child did not even want to go back to school.
Wolf allegedly told the parents the same day via email that "there is absolutely no threat" at the school, adding that large assumptions posted on social media only evolved into exaggerated rumors.
The lawsuit noted that Wolf and Superintendent Timothy Throne knew that Ethan Crumbley brought a severed bird head to school and left it in the boys' bathroom.
The filing added that the two school officials had actual knowledge of Crumbley's violent tendencies and ideations.
The lawsuit also alleged that Crumbley brought live ammunition to school the day before the mass shooting. However, he was allowed to return to class by some figures of authority, New York Post report.
The lawsuit's new version contained myriad new facts to support 11 additional causes of action against the Oxford Community School District, Throne, Wolf, Dean of Students Ryan Moore, two unnamed teachers, two unnamed counselors, and one unnamed staff member.
Michigan School Shooting
The lawsuit also alleged that school officials were aware of a tweet that Ethan Crumbley posted the day before the shooting, saying, "Now I become Death, the destroyer of worlds."
The filing said the school officials should have reported Crumbley to Child Protective Services after learning about the social media post and the bullets.
The lawsuit further noted that the 15-year-old gunman had brought bullets to class and displayed those, and the school knew about it. He was also researching ammunition on his cellphone.
Nora Hanna, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told the Detroit Free Press that the school was on alert about Ethan Crumbley, adding that there are a million things that they could have done to prevent the mass shooting.
The lawsuit claimed that the school's alleged missteps "accelerated" the November 30, 2021 massacre.
The suit alleged that the principal "excited" Crumbley to accelerate his timetable for murder after he pulled the teen out of class and warned him that Child Protective Services might be called. The teen had also drawn a gun's picture on his math homework.
Ethan Crumbley is facing terrorism and first-degree murder charges for allegedly opening fire in a school hallway with a handgun.
The semi-automatic 9-millimeter Sig Sauer handgun used in the shooting was reportedly an early Christmas gift to the teen from his parents.
Police earlier said that Crumbley had fired at least 30 rounds in those five minutes of shooting, with 18 rounds remaining in his handgun when he surrendered.
Tate Myre, 16; Madisyn Baldwin, 17; and Hana St. Juliana, 14, were pronounced dead at the scene. Meanwhile, 17-year-old Justin Shilling died in a hospital the next day. Six more students and a teacher were injured.
Crumbley's parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, have been charged with four counts each of involuntary manslaughter due to the issue of access to weapons.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Mary Webber
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