Parents of school shooting victims vow more action - even after shooter's parents convicted

After James Crumbley was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in his son's murderous rampage in Michigan, the parents of his victims killed in the Oxford High School shooting embraced the trial victory but shifted their focus to the next challenge: holding the school accountable and ending gun violence across the nation.

“We’re not done,” said Steve St. Juliana, whose 14-year-old daughter Hana was killed in the shooting. "There is so much more that absolutely must be done.

“Our children are dying on a daily basis in mass murders — and we do very little about it,” he said. “We complain about Second Amendment rights. Or we say, 'Oh, there’s not enough money to put in for mental health issues.' ... It’s the No. 1 killer of our kids, folks.”

He added: “We can put people on the moon. We can build skyscrapers, huge monuments like the Hoover Dam. And we can’t keep our kids safe in schools. People need to wake up and take action. Stop making excuses. Stop buying the rhetoric.”

And stop with the politics, he pleaded.

“It’s not a Democratic or Republican issue. It’s nonpartisan. Do not any excuse of any of the politicians. This needs to be solved, and it needs to be solved now,” St. Juliana said. “We do not want any parents to go through what we have gone through. It’s as simple as that."

James Crumbley and his wife, Jennifer, whose teenage son Ethan murdered four students and injured seven other people at Oxford High School in November 2021, are the first parents in the nation to be held criminally accountable for a child's school shooting. In February, Jennifer Crumbley was convicted on involuntary manslaughter charges.  Both parents are due to be sentenced April 9.

Ethan Crumbley pleaded guilty to the murders and other charges and is serving life in prison without parole. The 15-year-old carried out his rampage with a gun his father bought for him days earlier.

'It’s more than the gun. Our kids are not doing well these days.'

Buck Myre, whose son Tate died in the shooting, said Oxford High School also will be held accountable in court.

"No parent should go through the hell we’re going through,” Myre said as he then addressed the guilty verdicts. “We’ve taken care of three legs of November 30, but there’s still a fourth leg, and that’s the school. It’s time for the school to pony up. It’s time to break up that administration country club and it’s time for change.”

Myre stressed: “We’ve got four kids here dead and no one wants to take accountability. That needs to start tomorrow."

Those murdered by Crumbley's son were  Tate, 16; Hana, 14; Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Justin Shilling, 17.

“It’s more than the gun," Myre added. "Our kids are not doing well these days. We’re in a mental health crisis. The gun is just a tool. So we got to look at other things other than the gun.”

Prosecutor Karen McDonald: 'I refuse to take a victory lap'

The parents spoke during a news conference with Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, who noted that while the Crumbley prosecutions are important, pain and gun violence remain.

"This verdict does not bring back their children, but it does mark a moment  of accountability and will hopefully be another step to address and prevent gun violence,” McDonald said, stressing: "We will not solve gun violence with these three prosecutions."

McDonald called gun violence a public health crisis and the leading cause of death of children in America, but said access to guns alone will not solve the problem.

“I refuse to take a victory lap with these prosecutions. It will not bring back these kids. We have a lot more work to do," she said.

Nicole Beausoleil, who lost her 17-year-old daughter Madisyn Baldwin in the killing, agreed.

“We need to start focusing on the school,” Madisyn’s mom said. “The school and its failures. The things they don’t want to admit to. They are going to see these families rise up against it and we will be here fighting every second for our children.”

Asked whether prosecution against the school was next, McDonald said, “We want to hold everyone accountable.

“I’ve made a commitment to these parents and we’re going to keep it," she said. “I’m going to look at the facts and work with them to get the accountability they deserve.”

Craig Shilling, whose son Justin was murdered in a bathroom during the shooting, also pleaded for change.

"My heart is beating out of my chest. I'm shaking. I really can't say enough about the importance of what we just went through," Shilling said of the grueling trial and emotional verdict. "It's a monumental decision."

But he argued much more needs to be done.

"There's still so much there in front of us," he said.

Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com