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Michigan

Michigan school shooter's parents seek to attend son's sentencing hearing

James and Jennifer Crumbley have spent 2 years in jail in connection with the 2021 attack

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The parents of a teenager who killed four students at Michigan's Oxford High School are seeking permission to attend his sentencing while they also face charges in the attack.

Ethan Crumbley, 17, could be sentenced to life in prison on Dec. 8. James and Jennifer Crumbley, who are charged with involuntary manslaughter, have had no contact with their son for nearly two years, though all three are being held at a suburban Detroit jail.

OXFORD SCHOOL SHOOTER ETHAN CRUMBLEY CAN BE SENTENCED TO LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE FOR KILLING 4 STUDENTS

"Understandably, this hearing is of paramount importance, and would be to any parent, no matter what their child has done," defense lawyers Shannon Smith and Mariell Lehman said in a court filing Thursday.

Jennifer and James Crumbley, the parents of Ethan Crumbley, a teenager accused of killing four students in a shooting at Oxford High School, appear in court.

James and Jennifer Crumbley appear in court, Rochester Hills, Michigan, Feb. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Prosecutors are opposed to having the Crumbley parents in court, saying their presence would be a distraction, especially for victims who plan to speak at the sentencing, the Detroit Free Press reported.

SCHOOL SHOOTER'S PARENTS CAN BE TRIED FOR INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER, COURT RULES

The Crumbleys instead could be allowed to watch the hearing online in jail, assistant prosecutor Marc Keast said.

The parents have been in custody since shortly after the November 2021 shooting, unable to afford a $500,000 bond. They are accused of contributing to the tragedy by making a gun accessible to their son at home and ignoring his mental health needs.

Their trial begins on Jan. 23.

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Four students were killed at Oxford High School and six more students and a staff member were wounded. The shooter pleaded guilty to terrorism and murder. A judge said he is eligible for life in prison without parole, though a shorter sentence is also possible.