Authorities are looking for the parents of a Michigan school shooting suspect who was charged with manslaughter.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said Friday that authorities are looking for the parents of a teenager accused of killing four people in a Michigan high school shooting this week.
The announcement came shortly after Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald charged James and Jennifer Crumbley with four charges of involuntary manslaughter.
“While the gunman entered the high school and pulled the trigger, more persons contributed to the events of Nov. 30, and it is my intention to hold them accountable as well,” McDonald stated during a news conference.
“Gun ownership is a right,” she continued, “and with that right comes great responsibility.”
James and Jennifer Crumbley’s attorney phoned officials Friday morning to inform them that they would surrender if charged, sheriff Michael Bouchard said.
On Friday afternoon, after officials said they were hunting for the couple, their attorneys stated that they had not fled but had left town the night following the incident “for their own protection” and were on their way back for arraignment.
“Despite recent media claims to the contrary, they are not fleeing law enforcement,” attorneys Shannon Smith and Mariell Lehman stated in a statement.
The Detroit News was the first to publish on the attorneys’ announcement announcing the Crumbleys’ return.
The sheriff’s office stated late Friday afternoon that it had not heard from attorneys and that the duo’s voluntary return was not guaranteed.
Earlier in the day, Bouchard discussed the case’s resources.
“We have our Fugitive Apprehension Team, the FBI, the United States Marshals Service, and others actively searching for them and have every reason to believe we will apprehend them shortly,” Bouchard added. “The fact that they fled and ignored their attorney lends weight to the charges. They cannot evade their responsibility for this disaster.”
According to officials, the couple may be driving a black 2021 Kia Seltos SUV with a Michigan license plate number.
