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Ethan Crumbley's parents arrested from Detroit building ending massive manhunt

Jennifer and James Crumbley each face a maximum up to 15 years in prison if convicted

Parents of accused Oxford school shooter Ethan Crumbley have been arrested by the Detroit police in the early hours of Saturday, December 4 from an industrial building. Jennifer and James Crumbley were captured from the basement of a building on the 1100 block of Bellevue Street in Detroit, less than half a mile from the Canadian border, according to the police. They were charged with involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with the school massacre executed by their son which claimed the lives of four teenage students. Their arrest came on the heels of US Marshals announcing a $10,000 bounty for information leading up to their arrest. 

For the uninitiated, their son Ethan is accused of fatally shooting Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Tate Myre, 16; Hana St. Julian, 14; and Justin Shilling, 17, according to Oakland County Sheriff's Office. He also critically injured eight others, including a teacher. The Sheriff's Office announced on December 4 that James and Jennifer would be facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter and if convicted, they will face 15 years in prison. Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald defended the charges saying "extreme negligence" led to the school tragedy and the pistol used by the teen fugitive was purchased by James at a Black Friday sale, in presence of his son. James is also accused of failing to keep the firearm away from his son, reports said the latter showed off the gun on various social media. 

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Were the Crumbleys escaping to Canada?

The Crumbleys were given a deadline till 4 pm Friday to surrender which they failed to honor. Hours after the deadline, a tipster called Detroit Police leading them to an abandoned black 2021 Kia Seltos SUV parked within walking distance of the Detroit River which forms the border between the US and Canada. The police cordoned off several blocks within the area and deployed K-9 units, launching a massive manhunt for the Crumbleys. It was previously reported that the couple withdrew $4,000 from an ATM on Thursday night while they were still living under surveillance at a motel where they were camped up since the shooting. The surveillance was suspended on Friday morning due to a communication breakdown between agencies taking advantage of which Jennifer and James left the motel unobserved,, according to Daily Mail citing a WDIV-TV. 

The Crumbleys' attorneys Shannon Smith and Mariell Lehman had insisted their clients weren't on the run and would return to face charges. "On Thursday night we contacted the Oakland County prosecutor to discuss this matter and to advise her that James and Jennifer Crumbley would be turning themselves in to be arraigned," the lawyers said in a statement obtained by DailyMail.com. "Instead of communicating with us, the prosecutor held a press conference to announce charges. 'The Crumbleys left town on the night of the tragic shooting for their own safety. They are returning to the area to be arraigned. They are not fleeing from law enforcement despite recent comments in media reports," they had said. Oakland County Sheriff's Office said they began searching for the Crumbleys after the couple's attorneys confirmed their phones were switched off and they weren't responding to messages. The police have yet to provide an official statement to the press regarding the Crumbleys' next steps and whether they were trying to escape to Canada and if someone was aiding them to do so.  

'They are as guilty as the son'

Coming back to the couple's arrest, people on the Internet appear to be satisfied with this development in the case. "So the Crumbleys how ever you spell it. Arrested in Detroit! Good..they are as guilty as the son," a Twitter user wrote. "PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell me the Crumbleys had their MAGA hats on when they were arrested!!!" another tweet read referencing Donald Trump's campaign slogan 'Make America Great Again'. For the uninitiated, Jennifer wrote an open letter to the former President on her blog, thanking and praising him for supporting gun rights. "So the Crumbleys were found and arrested. Good. Give them the maximum sentence," another tweet read while another tweeted, "Bye bye dirtbags."