Ethan Crumbley back in court • Murdered Wayne Co. deputy texted suspects • Mo-Pop returns to Detroit
FRIDAY NEWS HIT - The accused shooter Ethan Crumbley will be back in court Friday for a review of his incarceration in adult jail in Oakland County, where he's remained since being charged in the Oxford High School shooting.
The 16-year-old, who allegedly killed four and injured seven others during a rampage last November is expected to be Oakland County court at 9 a.m. FOX 2 will stream the hearing live at FOX2Detroit.com.
The remote hearing is part of a monthly review process required by Michigan law for juveniles jailed in adult jail. During Crumbley's June 23 hearing, he was ordered to remain in the Oakland County Jail and had his trial date pushed to Jan. 17.
Crumbley's trial was originally scheduled for September, however that was moved to after the holidays to better account for potential schedule disruptions for a jury.
There are two other legal fronts making their way through the court system that pertain to the Oxford School shooting: The criminal case against Crumbley's parents James and Jennifer that's been brought forth by the Oakland County Prosecutor and the civil case brought forth by victims of shooting.
Read the latest on the Crumbley trials here.
Michigan raises tobacco purchasing age to 21
Michigan has raised the age to purchase tobacco and other products containing nicotine from 18 to 21.
A legislative package that raised the minimum age, adjusted penalties, and requires anyone mailing tobacco products through the mail to verify the recipient's age was signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Thursday.
While those under 21 were already prohibited from using tobacco, the new round of bills targets the sale of the product and other regulations governing its use.
Even though tobacco use has declined in America, other forms of nicotine use have gone up - especially among young people who have smoked electronic cigarettes.
Here's what lawmakers had to saw about bills' signing
Murdered Wayne County deputy was texting suspects before death
Wayne County Sheriff's Deputy Devante Jones was texting the men accused of murdering him hours and minutes before his death, according to the prosecutor's office.
Malikk Williams, 22, Gregory Freeman, 19, Christion White, 22, and Kevin White, 27, were all charged in connection to the Sept. 20, 2021, murder of Jones as he dropped someone off early that morning at the Diggs Projects on East Forest Ave.
Jones, 23, was shot multiple times in the parking lot of the projects around 4:15 a.m, a few hours after ending his shift at the Wayne County Jail. During a hearing Thursday, a homicide detective read text messages that prosecutors say were exchanged between Jones and the suspects.
"We had to leave to get guns and guns was out there," a text from Jones read. One of the suspects allegedly replied, "Man talk is cheap (expletive) feel one of you stop right now. I got an AR and a Mag for you right now." Officials said Jones was texting with the suspects throughout the night of Sept. 19, 2021, and into the morning of Sept. 20, 2021, when he was killed.
Here is more on the text exchanges between the suspects and murdered deputy
Mo Pop Festival returns to Detroit
Mo Pop Festival is back after the pandemic forced its cancelation two years in a row.
Glass Animals and Big Sean will headline the festival along the Detroit River at Hart Plaza on July 30-31. See the full lineup below.
In addition to the music, the festival focuses on art and culture. There's a market featuring handmade goods, a free arcade, food trucks, a dance party and more.
One-day general admission tickets start at $149, while a weekend pass is $199. There are also VIP tickets available. Get tickets here.
Mother denies details that kids weren't secure in fatal Southfield Freeway crash
A woman whose family says she was driving drunk when she caused a crash that killed one of her children denies some details provided by police. Nyasha Pool is accused of crashing into a vehicle before hitting the barrier wall of the Southfield Freeway on Wednesday night.
The crash left 3-month-old Raylon in critical condition with a skull fracture and brain bleed after police say he was thrown from the vehicle. He was in a car seat, but not strapped in, police said. Pool's 2-year-old daughter Vanessa was killed. Police said she wasn’t buckled at all.
Pool says this isn't true. She spoke during a candlelight vigil she held Thursday. "I love my kids and this was honestly a mistake," she said. "For them to say that Raylon flew out the window, that's false. Both of my kids had on they seatbelts, both of them were in a car seat. When I hit the wall, that's how one of them flew out."
Pool's family said she is an alcoholic who has been in trouble for drinking and driving in the past. Pool's mother, Tammie Ross, said she was drunk and speeding when she crashed. "Vanessa was my chocolate drop. That was my baby. I can’t even say it. That was my baby," Ross said. "I blame my child 100% for it. I do. It’s a mom being real. And a mom ain’t sugar coating."
Michigan State Police plan to announce charging decisions after a toxicology report. Read more here.
Live on FOX 2
What else we're watching
- The Ann Arbor Art Fair continues Friday, going from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. throughout the day. The massive event features nearly a thousand artists across 30 city blocks.
- Could Michigan see a return to chip manufacturing in the U.S.? A bill worked on by Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow say the Senate is on the verge of passing a bill that would channel federal funding for chip manufacturing in the country.
- A year after an 18-year-old was killed when she was caught in the crossfire while riding a bicycle in Detroit, family still haven't found closure in the case. The shooter behind Tikiya Allen's death has never been identified.
- It's not just I-94 that will be creating headaches this week. I-275 is also going to be closed heading northbound from Eureka Road to I-94 for an emergency road repair. The poor road condition required "immediate replacement" MDOT said.
- It's not just you - these days really are more stressful and according to rankings from WalletHub, Detroit is the second-most stressed out city in America. That's according to metrics tracking health, job, and money.
Daily Forecast
It'll be a rather predictable day on the weather ring in Michigan Friday: dry conditions, 90 degrees, and a touch of humidity. But the real action begins Saturday and Sunday when storm potential that's brewing arrives in the Southeast region.
January 6 hearing: Panel says Trump 'poured gasoline on fire' with tweet during Capitol riot
With the Capitol siege raging, President Donald Trump poured "gasoline on the fire" by tweeting condemnation of Mike Pence's refusal to go along with his plan to stop the certification of Joe Biden's victory, former aides told the Jan. 6 investigating committee in a prime-time hearing Thursday night.
Earlier, an irate Trump demanded to be taken to the Capitol after his supporters had stormed the building, well aware of the deadly attack, but then returned to the White House and did nothing to call off the violence, despite appeals from family and close adviser,, witnesses testified.
At the Capitol, the mob was chanting "Hang Mike Pence," testified Matt Pottinger, a deputy national security adviser for Trump, as Trump tweeted his condemnation of his vice president.
Meanwhile, recordings of Secret Service radio transmissions revealed agents asking for messages to be relayed telling their families goodbye.
Pottinger said that when he saw Trump's tweet he immediately decided to resign, as did former White House aide Sarah Matthews, who described herself as a lifelong Republican but could not go along with what was going on. She was the witness who called the tweet "pouring gasoline on the fire."