Michigan school attack: Parents of suspected shooter arrested

Status: 04.12.2021 11:10 a.m

The parents of the 15-year-old suspect have been arrested after the fatal shooting at a Michigan school. They are accused of negligent homicide in four cases – they are said to have bought the murder weapon for their son.

The parents of the alleged shooter at a school in the US state of Michigan have been caught. “The two fugitives were located and arrested. A compliment from the Detroit Police Department,” the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook. James and Jennifer C. were discovered on the first floor of a factory building in Detroit, a police spokesman told CNN. The arrest is said to have been uneventful, according to police.

According to CNN, the couple withdrew $4,000 (more than €3,500) from an ATM on Friday and turned off their cell phones. The two stayed gone all day. Police are offering a $10,000 reward for information on their whereabouts. The parents’ lawyers said they had left town “for their own safety” and wanted to turn themselves in to the authorities. According to the police, the couple’s vehicle was found in Detroit shortly before the arrest, which put the authorities on the track of the two.

Charges against parents very rare

According to prosecutor Karen McDonald on Friday, James and Jennifer C. are each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter. According to CNN, the parents bought the murder weapon, gave their underage son access to the gun and ignored warnings. Prosecution against the parents of a perpetrator of such an act of violence in schools is very rare, but in this case the facts are “outrageous”, according to the prosecutor. “What I’m trying to do is promote a policy of deterrence.”

The 15-year-old opened fire at his school in the small town of Oxford, north of Detroit, on Tuesday. He killed four classmates between the ages of 14 and 17 and injured seven other people. After the crime, he allowed himself to be arrested without resistance and was subsequently charged with four counts of murder and terrorism, among other things. The teenager should be tried under adult criminal law. He faces life imprisonment.

“Christmas present” for the son

The perpetrator’s mother is said to have described the weapon, a semi-automatic pistol, as a “Christmas present” for her son on online platforms, according to McDonald. According to the police, the 15-year-old recorded a video on his cell phone the night before the attack, in which he announced the attack for the next day. The next morning he was summoned to a meeting with his parents by the school administration because drawings depicting violent fantasies had been discovered on his desk.

“The thoughts don’t stop. Help me,” read next to a picture of a gun. In addition, the student had drawn a cartridge and a corpse, along with the message: “My life is useless.” However, the parents refused to take their son home. The 15-year-old then returned to class. Later, in the school restroom, he took out the pistol he had hidden in his backpack and opened fire.

Message to Gun Owners

“The idea of parents reading these words and knowing at the same time that their son had access to a deadly weapon that they gave him is outrageous and I think it’s criminal,” McDonald said. She also accused the parents of not checking to see if the teenager had the gun with them. The charges against James and Jennifer C. were intended to “hold accountable those who contributed to this tragedy and send a message to gun owners that they have a responsibility.”

Fatal incidents continue to occur in the United States because school shooters open fire. Gun laws in the United States vary by state, but firearms such as pistols and assault rifles are usually relatively easy to obtain. Stricter gun laws usually fail because of the Republicans in Congress and the powerful gun lobby.