Michigan prosecutors contend that the parents of the Oxford High School shooting suspect, Ethan Crumbley, exposed him to years of "chaotic, toxic conflict" before he allegedly opened fire at his school.
According to CNN, prosecutors argued in a Thursday court filing that evidence of Jennifer and James Crumbley's personal problems, ranging from an extramarital affair to substance abuse, should be introduced at their trial. The couple's attorneys have called the evidence "extraneous."
The prosecution maintained that the couple didn't do much to assist their son while he "was deteriorating before their eyes" while exposing him to "toxic conflict."
"What the evidence will actually show," the filing states, "is that these defendants exposed their son to years of chaotic, toxic conflict, which is a well-known risk factor for entering the pathway to violence. The investigation paints a clear picture of parents who were not just in constant conflict, or who just exposed their son to conflict, but who actively inserted him into their conflict ..."
Both defendants were charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the Michigan shooting. Prosecutors brought the charge after alleging the couple purchased a firearm for their son while ignoring the warning signs of his mental distress.
In November, Ethan allegedly entered a school and shot and killed four students, injuring others.
An excerpt from Ethan's journal states that his parents "hate each other" and that he had "zero help for my mental problems and it's causing me to shoot up the f***ing school."
Court filings depict the Crumbley household as tumultuous. Ethan was often left alone while his "routinely intoxicated" parents fought.
"The filing continues, "[He] went through stretches of sleeping only a few hours per night — staying up very late at night while defendants drank, argued and slept only a few feet away in a bedroom that shared a wall with the shooter's room."
Court documents allege that Ethan was frequently asked to get involved in his parents' problems, including being asked to look into whether one was faithful to the other.
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