The 15-year-old suspect in a Michigan school shooting has decided to plead insanity as part of his defense.
Ethan Crumbley, the suspect in the Nov. 30, 2021, shooting at Oxford High School, plans to take the insanity defense in his trial, according to court documents filed by his lawyers, the Detroit Free Press reported. Crumbley’s lawyers submitted the one-paragraph filing with the Oakland County Circuit Court on Wednesday.
“Please take notice that … Ethan Crumbley intends to assert the defense of insanity at the time of the alleged offense,” Paula Loftin and Amy Hopp, Crumbley’s attorneys, wrote in the document. The teenager’s insanity defense would allow him to take a psychiatric evaluation.
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The shooting left four students dead, and Crumbley is being tried on four charges of first-degree murder after taking a firearm to school and opening fire on school grounds. Six students and a teacher were left wounded from the shooting.
The teenager, who has previously pleaded “not guilty” to all charges, faces other charges, such as one count of terrorism causing death, seven counts of assault with intent to kill, and 12 counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of the teenager, are each facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter after James allegedly bought a gun for his son. The couple, who ended up pleading not guilty, had met with school officials the morning of the shooting, hours before the gunman opened fire.
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Crumbley, who waived his right to a court hearing on Jan. 7, is scheduled to appear back in court on Feb. 22.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Amy Hopp and the Oakland County Circuit Court for a statement but did not receive a response.
