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Who is Ethan Crumbley? Oxford shooting suspect got featured in newspaper for school project

Officials said they are seeking to charge Crumbley as an adult

OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN: The November 30 shooting at Oxford High School that killed three and injured eight others has left people shocked and devastated. According to officials the shooter — who has been identified as 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley — opened fire inside the campus just before 1 pm, killing Tate Myre, 16; Hanna St Julian, 14; and Madisyn Baldwin, 17; and injuring eight others.

The teenager happened to be a sophomore student at the school. He was arrested soon after the incident, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. “As they were coming down the hall, they saw him [the gunman]. He put his hands up, they took a gun and they took him into custody,” Bouchard added. It has also been said that a 9mm Sig Sauer SP2022 pistol was captured that still had seven rounds.

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Who is Ethan Crumbley?

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said she is seeking to charge Crumbley as an adult. The charges she is seeking against him include terrorism, four counts of first-degree murder and related charges to the use of a firearm at the school shooting. 

Also, a 2017 article published in a local newspaper, shared on Twitter, showed the suspected shooter as a “bespectacled boy,” who participated in a fifth-grade exhibition.

The article said, “As part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at Lakeville Elementary, fifth-graders are required to participate in this event - a culminating experience and opportunity to exhibit attributes developed during their time in the Primary Years Programme.” The newspaper story also has a quote of Crumbley, whose group project was focused on poverty, saying, “I see people on the streets sometimes that are homeless and hungry, and so I feel like I should take action and help them.”

Besides, there were screenshots shared on Twitter that claimed to be posts shared by Instagram accounts of Crumbley. One such screenshot showed that the suspect allegedly maintained a countdown on his Instagram account. “See you tomorrow, Oxford” as well as “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds” he wrote in his social media bio. Other screenshots showed the teen’s Instagram page containing images of evil characters from horror film franchises, like Jigsaw from the ‘Saw’ and Michael Myers from the ‘Halloween’. 

Crumbley had also allegedly shared a photo of a 9mm handgun and a shooting range target. He captioned the image as “Just got my new beauty today. SIG SAUER 9mm. Ask any questions I will answer.” Bouchard has said that the gun used in Tuesday's shooting was purchased by the accused’s father on Black Friday four days ago.

Some have even claimed that Crumbley’s father has a YouTube channel named, James Crumbley that showed the then-5-year-old suspected gunman appearing sometimes. 

Several people reacted to the screenshots as a user tweeted, “This is tragic. Kids shouldn't have guns. But how can the schools be held responsible for a crazy kid? Are they suppose to monitor external social media?  Did ANYONE tell the administration about this? How would they know?” Another one said, “His father's youtube.  5 year old content with Ethan. https://youtube.com/channel/UC3WKNCfSdVyyoNUIH3uZM0Q Heart breaking to see this kid turn into a mass murderer.” “great job fr shooting was 30-45mins away from where I live shit is crazy how ppl think it’s right to shoot the school i feel so bad for all the victims and the families losing there children,” the third one added.

Meanwhile, The Detroit News reported that the law enforcement officials have flocked to the area where the suspect lived with his family. It has been said that Crumbley stays in a 1,200-square-foot home less than a half-mile east of Washington Street, which was checked by the cops. No charges have been filed yet, though.