James Crumbley Trial: School officials talk counselor meeting, ATF agent goes over gun details
PONTIAC, Mich. (FOX 2) - More witnesses took the stand in James Crumbley's trial Monday, including testimony from two school officials and a special agent with the ATF.
The counselor's meeting with James and Jennifer Crumbley, as well as the investigation into the guns they owned and how they were stored inside the home were the main themes of the investigation. Court will resume at 9 a.m. on Tuesday. Find a full recap of the day's events here.
4:20 p.m. - Jury sent home for the day
3:40 p.m. - Defense cross-examines special agent
3 p.m. - The cable lock
The cable lock that came with the SIG Sauer gun when it was purchased was shown in court. According to Special Agent Brett Brandon, there would be more wear and tear on the plastic bag that the lock came in - had it been taken out of the packaging.
It was later found in a box that the KelTec firearm was purchased in - however, it was the only thing kept in the box, which was stored in the kitchen.
Brandon testified it would take about 10 seconds to put it on, assuming the gun was unloaded.
The cable lock that came with the SIG Sauer that was purchased by James Crumbley. It was stored in an empty gun case in the family's kitchen.
2:24 p.m. - James takes his son to the gun range
Among the other pieces of evidence that the special agent watched was security footage of the shooting - as well as videos from a shooting range of the shooter training with the family's two other firearms.
Brandon testified that after watching the video, he noticed the shooter looked like he had handled a gun before - including his stance and how he loaded the firearm.
The shooter also went to the shooting range with Jennifer Crumbley after the SIG Sauer was purchased.
1:22 p.m. - Prosecution calls Brett Brandon to the stand
Special Agent Brett Brandon worked as one of the officers in charge of the Oxford High School shooting investigation for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. He's served with the ATF for the last 15 years.
Brandon was in charge of tracing the history of the murder weapon from its original purchase to its use on the day of the shooting. He originally tracked its first purchaser to a man in Rochester, who told Brandon he had sold it back to the firearms store in Oxford.
From there, he found the gun was later purchased in November.
He also testified the Crumbley family owned three guns, the SIG Sauer, which shoots a 9 mm bullet, and two guns that shot 22 caliber rounds: a Kel-Tec and a Derringer. He said there would be more damage fired from a round fired from a gun that discharges 9mm bullets than one that fires a 22 caliber round.
Brandon also offered testimony about the location of the guns in the home. The two smaller guns were found in a case in the kitchen with the lock combination 0-0-0. A separate case that held the SIG Sauer and came with the gun's purchase was found in the parent's bedroom when law enforcement searched the property.
It was found open and empty on the bed.
11:50 a.m. - Jury breaks for lunch
11:28 a.m. - Defense begins cross-examination
The defense laid out many of the facts that were known and not known when Ejak made the decision that, based on his knowledge at the time, to focus on the mental health concern - not any need for discipline.
"I knew a fraction of what we know now," he said.
He did comment on the weight of the shooter's backpack when he retrieved it during the meeting, but didn't look inside. He testified he had no reason to look inside.
Ejak did testify that while watching footage of the shooting while on the phone with the a 911 operator it crossed his mind the shooter could be the Crumbley's son.
11:13 a.m. - Nicholas Ejak takes the stand
Nicholas Ejak worked as the dean of students at Oxford High School during the shooting. He was in charge of student discipline at the school at the time. He had been hired to the position that year.
He was made aware of the Crumbley parent's son's behavior in school, including references to him looking up bullets in school on Nov. 29, and a violent video on Nov. 30. After the second instance, he went to speak to the counselor about calling the teen down to the office.
He depicted a similar scene that Shawn Hopkins described, including when his parents arrived. His expectation was the student would be leaving class based on experience. While he was in charge of discipline, Ejak said the worksheet the student had scribbled on was more of a mental health problem.
He testified that James expressed concern for his son and talked about his journal and told him there were people he could talk to if he needed someone.
Reasonable suspicion was needed for him to look into the shooter's backpack and the student didn't express any signs that there was something illegal inside. It would be later discovered the SIG Sauer was inside the backpack.
10:55 a.m. - Judge takes short break
10:33 a.m. - James interacts with his son
Hopkins recalled James Crumbley going over the math assignment with his son while in the meeting. He testified that James showed concern for his son, at least "on the surface level."
He also testified when the defense was asking questions that "I'd like him to get help as soon as possible, today if possible."
Jennifer Crumbley told Hopkins that that day wouldn't work. The dean of students, who is in charge of discipline, said it wouldn't be a problem if the Crumbley parent's son stayed in school. However, he planned on following up the next day to make sure there was some effort to get him help.
"We talk:" Oxford counselor testifies James Crumbley referenced journal, talks with son during meeting
Shawn Hopkins, a counselor at Oxford High School, testified during James Crumbley's trial that the father mentioned during their parent meeting that their son had people to talk to and knew of his journal.
James Crumbley also told his son "you know you have people to talk to" and mentioned to Hopkins that "they've talked" about some of his issues.
10:15 a.m. - Defense cross-examines
Defense Attorney Mariell Lehman dove a little deeper into some of the details around each of Hopkins' meetings with the shooter.
She clarified the order of events in November when teachers had gotten in touch with Hopkins after observing concerning behavior. Part of the reason the counselor wasn't concerned about the student looking up bullets was because it was in the context it happened.
"He did it in a way that had been appropriate," Hopkins said when talking about whether a student going to a gun range was concerning.
Lehman also asked about the gun culture in Oxford and whether it was normal for students to talk about guns and hunting.
9:52 a.m. - Meeting with parents
Hopkins called a meeting with the shooter and his parents on the day of the shooting after more issues came in the day after he had already seen other emails about problems and disturbing behavior.
After calling the student into his class, he called the parents to come in for a meeting after learning of some of his hardships at home. He recommended the parents take him home immediately and get him help. When they said they couldn't and had to work, he asked that he get help in 48 hours.
If he didn't, he told the court he would have called Child Protective Services.
"I didn't want him to be alone, so my thought was if the parents had to return to work, I wanted to make sure the student was with people," he testified. "My concern was him, his well-being, his ability to be safe and cared for."
The defense began cross-examining Hopkins after that.
9:12 a.m. - Shawn Hopkins takes the stand
Shawn Hopkins worked as a counselor for Oxford High School during the shooting in Nov. 2021. He scheduled and worked with students, and helped them with social and emotional wellness.
Hopkins testified in Jennifer Crumbley's trial since he was the counselor that met with both the shooter and his parents on the day of the shooting. He testified he met with the shooter earlier in the year after his English teacher asked him to.
Another email about an issue came in September after he had written a personal essay that worried his teacher. He met with the shooter between classes just to let him know he was available to talk.
He testified that he didn't call parents since someone being sad doesn't raise the level of concern that a phone call home was necessary. Hopkins also exchanged emails with another teacher the day before the shooting after the shooter was caught looking up bullets in class.
He clarified in court he wasn't in charge of discipline - but someone that can provide comfort. For Hopkins to call home, he'd need to have a "high level of concern."
9:09 a.m. - James Crumbley returns to court
It's day three of testimony. On Friday, five witnesses testified, including the woman who sold Crumbley the gun his son used in the Oxford High School shooting, and an assistant principal who heard gunfire and encountered the shooter. Several investigators who responded to the school also gave testimony.
During testimony from the first investigator to interview the shooter and his parents, Det. Joe Brian, a video of that encounter was shown. It showed the first reactions from each parent as they learned for the first time the extent of the shooting and their son's involvement. At one point, James broke down in tears.
On Friday, Judge Cheryl Matthews noted that the trial is progressing more quickly than expected, and jury deliberations could begin as soon as mid-week.
What is James Crumbley charged with?
James Crumbley is charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, one count for each student killed by his son at Oxford High School on Nov. 30, 2021.
A jury found his wife, Jennifer Crumbley, guilty of the same charges in early February. She will be sentenced on April 9.
What did James Crumbley do?
James Crumbley is accused of buying his son the gun used to kill four people and injure others.
His son pleaded guilty to all charges against him and is now in prison. During his plea hearing, he admitted that he gave James the money to buy the gun.
During Jennifer's trial, she testified that the gun was her husband's responsibility; she said she was not comfortable with guns and was not involved in handling or buying it. She also testified that James had hidden the gun before their son took it to school.
The parents are also accused of ignoring concerns about their son's mental health.
Witnesses called by the prosecution during Jennifer's trial described a meeting between the Crumbley parents and school officials the morning of the shooting. The parents were called after violent drawings were discovered on their son's schoolwork.
During this meeting, a school counselor told the parents to get their son mental health help as soon as possible and recommended that they take him home from school. However, the parents chose not to take him home.
What kind of sentence is James Crumbley facing?
Involuntary manslaughter is punishable by up to 15 years in prison in Michigan. The court does have the discretion to do consecutive sentencing, which, due to the four counts, would be 60 years. However, the maximum he could get will likely be 15 years.
James Crumbley's trial so far
Read recaps of each day of testimony below: