SOUTH AMERICA. – Lawyers say a teenager accused of killing four students at a Michigan high school will pursue a crazy defense.
A notice was filed Thursday, according to a summary of case files available online.
The announcement will lead to a mental health examination of 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, who has been charged as an adult with murder and other counts for the November 30 Oxford High School shooting. .
The filing comes the same day as a new lawsuit alleges school officials and Crumbley’s parents were negligent in the assault.
THIS IS A HOT NEWS UPDATE. The AP’s previous story follows.
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (AP) – A new lawsuit alleging negligence by school officials and the parents of a Michigan school shooting suspect was filed Thursday in connection with an attack at Oxford High School that left four students Students were killed, six other students and a teacher were injured.
The lawsuit is filed by Detroit-area attorney Ven Johnson on behalf of the parents of Tate Myer, who was killed Nov. 30, and other students who witnessed the shooting.
“We are saddened and heartbroken – our lives are forever changed,” William Myre said at a news conference. “Our family will never be the same. We’re not doing well. All we do is walk around the house and think about Tate.”
The lawsuit, which demands at least $25,000, names the principal of the Oxford High School of students, two counselors and three teachers as defendants. The shooter and his parents have also been named as defendants.
The Associated Press sent out an email Thursday morning seeking comments from the school district.
The suspect’s parents are accused of intentional, reckless and negligent conduct that led to the mass shooting. Teachers and staff at Oxford High School have been charged with negligence leading to the shooting by not removing the shooter from the school.
The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Oakland County Court on behalf of Tate Myer’s parents, William and Sheri. Also named as plaintiffs are Chad and Meghan Gregory, whose son, Keegan, was hiding in a school bathroom with Justin Shilling when Shilling was shot dead.
The lawsuit was also filed on behalf of Lauren Aliano, whose daughters, Sophia Kempen and Grace Kempen, were hiding in their classrooms during the shooting.
Another student, Ethan Crumbley, 15, was charged with murder and other crimes as an adult. His parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, were later charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Prosecutors said the gun used in the shooting had been purchased by James Crumbley a few days earlier and that their son had full access to it.
The lawsuit filed Thursday says that Keegan Gregory texted his family from the bathroom stall “and describes these horrific events” when Shilling was shot.
Ethan Crumbley “later ordered Keegan out of the stall and onto the floor, and instead dashed to the bathroom door to safety,” the lawsuit reads.
The school is in Oakland County, about 30 miles (50 km) north of Detroit. It reopened on Monday with a refurbished interior since the shooting.
In December, Jeffrey and Brandi Franz filed a pair of lawsuits in federal and county courts seeking $100 million each against the school district. Their 17-year-old daughter, Riley, was shot in the neck. Her 14-year-old sister, Bella, a 9th grader, was with her at the time she was shot.
Their lawsuit says school officials and high school staff did not do enough to prevent the shooting and protect students.
