Oakland County prosecutor gives update on Oxford High School shooting case
Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald on Tuesday afternoon answered questions from press following a probable cause conference for James and Jennifer Crumbley.
DETROIT – Oxford Community school district Superintendent Tim Throne on Tuesday delayed his retirement amid fallout from the Nov. 30 shooting that left four students dead and seven others, including a teacher, injured.
His last day was scheduled for Jan. 21, 2022, but he has since postponed his retirement until an unknown date.
"Like many of our administrators, staff members, and families, I have been totally consumed by this tragedy. Additionally, many of our families and staff members have understandably asked me about the status of my retirement," Throne wrote in a letter to the school community.
A park on S. Washington St. in Oxford, Michigan (Audrey Conklin/Fox News)
He continued: "Trying to support our families, staff and community members as they grieve as well as supporting the safe and slow return to school has been my mission as your superintendent. I want to thank our community and staff for rallying together through this challenging ordeal. We have also appreciated the support, prayers and encouragement from people within Oxford, across our state, and around the world."
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The superintendent added that he remains "solely focused on responding to this tragedy," and that he is committed to ensuring "students, families, and staff are fully supported during this difficult time for our community."
"Now is simply not the right time for me to leave," he said. The superintendent will help facilitate a "smooth transition" and give the Oxford school board more time to "complete its superintendent search" as the community heals.
People attend a vigil downtown to honor those killed and wounded during the recent shooting at Oxford High School on Dec. 3, 2021, in Oxford, Michigan. (Getty Images)
Throne is one of several defendants in a lawsuit filed by attorney Geoffrey Fieger last week on behalf of two parents of daughters victimized in the tragedy, parents who are accusing the school district of endangering students before the shooting occurred. The school district's attorney, Timothy Mullins, filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on Tuesday, citing a plaintiff whom he alleges Fieger wrongly named in the complaint.
School shooting suspect Ethan Crumbley is accused of fatally shooting four students on Nov. 30, including 16-year-old Tate Myre, 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin, and 15-year-old Justin Shilling.
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Throne, Principal Steve Wold, and other school leaders allege that the Oxford Community school district and its employees "encouraged the specific incident of misconduct and/or directly participated in it by not expelling, disciplining, and providing proper supervision for Ethan Crumbley, and/or notifying police authorities of Crumbley’s violent plans."
Ethan Crumbley, 15, allegedly shot and killed four students and injured seven others at Oxford High School. (Oakland County Sheriff's Office)
"Previous to the November 30, 2021 incident, Ethan Crumbley posted countdowns and threats of bodily harm, including death, on his social media accounts, warning of violent tendencies and murderous ideology prior to actually coming to school with the handgun and ammunition to perpetuate the slaughter," the lawsuit states.
Crumbley allegedly posted this statement to his Twitter account on the night before the shooting, according to the lawsuit: "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds. See you tomorrow Oxford."
Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald revealed earlier this month that school officials met with Crumbley and his parents to discuss the violent drawings just hours before the deadly rampage. The 15-year-old suspect was able to convince them during the meeting that the concerning drawings were for a "video game." His parents "flatly refused" to take their son home.
Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald addresses the media in her office, on Friday in Pontiac, Michigan, Nov. 3, 2021. (Associated Press)
"On the morning of Nov. 30, a teacher observed concerning drawings and written statements that have been detailed in media reports, which the teacher reported to school counselors and the Dean of students," Oxford Community Schools Superintendent Tim Thorne wrote in a letter sent to the Oxford High School community. "The student was immediately removed from the classroom and brought to the guidance counselor’s office where he claimed the drawing was part of a video game he was designing and informed counselors that he planned to pursue video game design as a career."
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"At no time did counselors believe the student might harm others based on his behavior, responses and demeanor, which appeared calm," Throne added. "In addition, despite media reports, whether or not the gun was in his backpack has not been confirmed by law enforcement to our knowledge nor by our investigation at this time."
A third party will investigate the school’s handling of Crumbley ahead of the shooting. The school district denied the district attorney's request to conduct an independent investigation into the matter.
Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this report.
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