A psychologist testified on Tuesday at a hearing to determine the sentence for a teenager who committed a mass shooting at his Michigan high school in 2021, killing four students. The psychologist described the teen, Ethan Crumbley, as a “feral child” who had been deeply neglected by his parents during crucial developmental years and was suffering from mental illness.
During the hearing, Ethan’s lawyers showed disturbing videos from jail, revealing the 17-year-old in distress as he was restrained by deputies. In one incident, his head was covered with a hood, and he was heard lamenting, asking why it wasn’t stopped.
Psychologist Colin King, who has experience testifying in homicide cases, stated that the shooter was experiencing psychosis, a break from reality, and asserted that rehabilitation was possible for the boy, considering that his brain was still maturing.
Ethan Crumbley had pleaded guilty to murder, terrorism, and other charges related to the shooting at Oxford High School, which also wounded seven others. Due to his age at the time of the incident (15), he cannot automatically receive a life sentence. The judge must take into account factors such as the shooter’s maturity, mental health, and family life, as set by the U.S. Supreme Court.
King spent over 20 hours interviewing Ethan, running psychological tests, and reviewing his dark journal entries and text messages. It was revealed that Ethan believed a gun would be found in his backpack on the day of the shooting when he was sent to the office for drawing violent images in class. The backpack was never checked, and he was allowed to remain in school before the shooting occurred.
King stated that the shooter was raised in a turbulent home, experiencing neglect and exposure to domestic conflicts, infidelity, divorce, and even the responsibility of handling his deceased pet dog. He referred to Ethan as a “feral child” due to the abandonment and arrested development he experienced, leading to a lack of social cues and making him a misfit in society.
The psychologist concluded that the shooter suffered from major depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, deeming him mentally ill.
Ethan’s parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, are also facing charges of involuntary manslaughter for buying a gun for their son and neglecting his mental health needs.
Prosecutors are seeking a life prison sentence without the possibility of parole. However, during cross-examination, they suggested that the psychologist’s assessment was lenient. The prosecution emphasized that not all individuals with depression become mass shooters, and they presented evidence from journal writings and a video in which Ethan declared his plan to attack the school the night before the shooting.
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Throughout the hearing, the tragic details of the shooting were laid bare, including the execution-style killing of one victim in a bathroom. Despite opportunities to intervene and offer help, adults in Ethan’s life had missed those chances, leaving devastating consequences in their wake. The decision on the shooter’s sentence was expected to be determined after the hearing concluded.
