James Crumbley’s son wrote in journal he was ‘begging my dad’ for a 9mm gun

James Crumbley’s jury heard evidence on the fourth day about journal entries his son had written that involved desires to acquire a gun and carry out a shooting at the school. 

Det. Lt. Tim Willis with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office was the investigative lead on the school shooting case, or more commonly referred to as the officer in charge. 

Willis testified that after the shooting the shooter's backpack was found inside a bathroom. Inside that backpack were about 90 loose pieces of paper and school assignments, along with a journal.

The school shooter’s journal was referenced previously in his mother’s trial, Jennifer Crumbley, and was discussed again Tuesday as several of the entries made reference to his parents, and some in particular of his father, who is currently on trial for involuntary manslaughter. 

The entries, according to the prosecution, were indicative of the shooter’s request for mental health help, his desire to obtain a 9mm handgun and his plans to carry out a shooting at the school. 

James Crumbley is accused of ignoring his son's mental health and providing him with the 9 mm gun he used to kill his peers and injure a teacher.

Journal entries that were read Tuesday included: 

"I have zero health for my mental problems and it’s causing me to shoot up the (expletive) school." 

"I want help but my parents don’t listen to me so I can’t get any help."

"My parents won’t listen to me about help or a therapist." 

"I want to shoot up the (expletive) school so badly. Soon I am going to buy a 9 mm pistol."

"All I need is my 9mm pistol, which I am currently begging my dad for." 

"I will have to find where my dad hid my 9mm before I can shoot the school." 

"Unfortunately, my dad does not want me to get the 9mm gun. And we are having financial problems (right now), and I don't have a job. So now (I’m) pissed because I want to do the shooting with a 9mm pistol, as they are effective for killing but (right now) all I got is a puny 22 LR KelTek that I don't know where my dad hid it."

"First off, I got my gun. It's a SP 2022, SIG Sauer, 9 mm. Second, the shooting is tomorrow. I have access to the gun and the ammo. I am fully committed to this for now. So, yeah, I'm going to prison for life. And many people have about one day left to live."

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James Crumbley is charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the Nov. 30, 2021 mass shooting. Jennifer Crumbley, his wife, was convicted on the same charges in February. They’re the first parents of a mass shooter to be charged for their child’s crimes. 

Crumbley’s lawyer, Mariell Lehman, pointed out during cross-examination that, although James had referenced his son’s journal during the school meeting with the counselor and the dean of students, as mentioned also in testimony the day prior, that James didn’t give any specifics during the meeting at the school to indicate that knew what the journal looked like or about anything that had been written in it. 

Willies testified that, while other notebooks belonging to the shooter had been found, only one specific journal had been recovered.

Lehman also argued that, although the shooter wrote he "had access" to the gun and ammunition, it wasn’t clear how or why he had access.

Willis was the sixth witness to testify on Tuesday, the fourth day of the trial. Jurors heard earlier in the day mostly about the night when the Crumbleys were apprehended at an industrial building in Detroit several days after the shooting.

You can read more about that testimony here.