Nov. 30, 2021, Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of the Oxford High School shooter, was tried and found guilty of four counts of manslaughter. Never before in United States history has a parent been convicted of a crime committed by their child, even with the U.S. having the highest rate of school shootings among other nations.
The conviction of Crumbley sparked controversy because some parents had expressed concern about being convicted for crimes they didn’t commit. Not every case is as extreme as this one. But that doesn’t mean it’s not possible.
On Sept. 4, 2024, Apalachee High School was faced with the tragedy of the 45th school shooting in the United States in 2024. The shooter had been charged with four counts of murder, but his father, Colin Gray, was also charged with involuntary manslaughter.
The Crumbley and Gray families were accused of negligence and ignorance of the signs. The Crumbley family was reckless when it came to their firearms, while Gray gifted his son the weapon.
Seeing The Signs and Ensuring Safety
Every school shooter is different, but there are often some commonalities: the child has mental health issues, potential grudges against someone, and could have been isolated or bullied for some time. Based on those patterns, parents should make a more vital attempt to try and see those signs before it’s too late.
At school, there are many ways to ensure that students are safe and have the proper way to express themselves and what they need. However, some things go under the radar. If students threaten one of their peers and the administration gets wind of it, counseling would look into it.
“If the student is at risk of harming themselves or others, you have every right to break confidentiality to keep them and everybody else safe.” Senior counselor McKenna Fee said. “We can do absolutely everything possible in the school, but when the student goes home, we don’t have any influence at all.”
In the case of the Crumbley and Gray family, the families neglected the signs their child was presenting and ignored contact made by their child administration team when they reached out, expressing concerns that something terrible may happen.
“Never put your finger on the trigger unless you are going to shoot. Always treat it like it’s loaded,” Junior Jacob Jones said, “never point it at another person. Don’t mess with guns unless you’re going to use [them].” In Jones’s home, his parents have ensured that rules surrounding the weapons have been established to ensure that no one is accidentally harmed.
Proper Gun Handling and Safety Measures
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), 253 shootings occurred on a K-12 campus between the years 1990 and 2016. The shootings included in the study were those where perpetrated by adolescents under the age of 19 and included at least one fatality.
To try and reduce the number of school shootings, parents should ensure that their firearm is appropriately secured. According to AAP, 42% of adolescent school shooters obtained their firearm from relatives, primarily by taking it without their knowledge.
In the State of Oregon, Senate Bill 554 requires gun owners to secure their weapons in a locked container, safe, or gun room using a trigger or cable lock. These rules are in place when the firearm is not being carried.
School shootings are a tragedy, and there are preventative measures that should be put in place to try and reduce numbers and protect children while in an educational setting. Jones said, “You shouldn’t be afraid of [guns] because they are a tool, but you have to treat it with respect.”
