James Crumbley trial: What happened on third day of testimony
The involuntary manslaughter trial for James Crumbley, father of the Oxford High School shooter, continued Monday with testimony from two school officials and an ATF special agent assigned to the shooting case.
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.
The shooter’s parents are accused of ignoring their son's mental health and providing him with the 9 mm gun he used to kill his peers and injure a teacher. Their son was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole late last year.
James Crumbley trial: Oxford counselor says dad told student he had people to talk to
Shawn Hopkins, a counselor at Oxford High School, testified that during his meeting with the shooter's parents that James Crumbley told his son that he "has people to talk to" and that he knew of his son's journal.
Both parents have been jailed since their arrest a few days after the shooting.
Here are the topics of testimony and highlights from them on the third day of the trial:
Guns in the Crumbley house
Monday afternoon, an ATF special agent who was assigned to the case, Brett Brandon, testified about the weapons that James Crumbley owned: a Cobra Derringer Classic, KelTec P17, and a SIG Sauer.
Brandon testified that the SIG Sauer takes 9mm rounds while the other two guns take .22 ammunition.
"The 9mm is going to be a wider round, so … it means the 9mm round is bigger and based on the size of the round, it’s going to be heavier. So the damage from that round would be more than a .22 round," he said.
Brandon said he later discovered in the SIG Sauer gun case a youth safety pamphlet from the ATF behind the gun’s foam padding alongside the receipt. The pamphlet is included to inform the buyer that juvenile gun violence is a problem and that securing your gun can prevent that, Brandon explained.
"When I lifted up the foam and saw the pamphlet in there, I was shocked," he said. "As the pamphlet says on the front, it says, Youth Handgun Safety Act Notice. It means they were on notice - they had to pick this up and move it to the back of that gun case and basically discard it under the foam."
READ MORE: James Crumbley trial: ATF agent testifies about 3 guns in home, where they were kept
During his testimony, Brandon watched security footage from the school of the shooting and said three things stuck out to him:
- The shooter's stance
- His reloading
- Where he placed the magazine
He testified these things told him that the shooter had ‘some level’ of proficiency with guns or training.
School’s meeting with parents
The jury heard in great detail again about the meeting that took place at the school the morning of the shooting that involved both parents, their son and multiple school officials.
Shawn Hopkins, a counselor at Oxford High School, and Nicholas Ejak, the dean of students, both testified again.
Hopkins called for the parents' meeting after having a conversation with the student about disturbing images he had drawn on a math worksheet. The student expressed sadness to him and seemed "appropriately sad," Hopkins said, over several things that had happened recently in his life, such as the death of a family member, a friend that had moved, virtual school, and the death of their dog.
Hopkins testified that between the math worksheet and the expressed sadness that he became concerned that the student might be thinking about hurting himself. Hopkins was also aware that the student had been caught looking at bullets on his phone during school hours. During cross-examination, he agreed that Oxford can be classified as a "hunting community" and that he knew of other families who had guns and would go to shooting ranges recreationally.
Hopkins testified that he called the parents and both showed up, and during the meeting Hopkins expressed his wish for them to seek help for their son, "as soon as possible, today if possible." They said they couldn’t accomplish it that day because they had to go back to work.
Hopkins said he gave them a multi-sheet list of counseling resources in the area and said during cross-examination that he didn’t have a reason to believe that the Crumbleys wouldn’t take action within a 48-hour timeline that Hopkins had set before he said he would follow up with them.
Ejak testified that he remembered James Crumbley expressing concern for his son at that time.
"He expressed concern for his son, that he reminded his son that he could always speak to him about stuff and that he had a journal that he could write stuff in," Ejak said.
Hopkins testified he remembered James Crumbley saying something with a similar effect to his son.
"Mr. Crumbley’s statement, to my recollection, was, ‘You have your counselor; you have your journal; we talk,’" Hopkins testified.
READ MORE: James Crumbley trial: School officials testify dad ‘expressed concern’ for his son
Ejak, the individual in charge of student discipline, testified that their mental health worries superseded any concern for discipline, even though some of the drawings and phrases the student had doodled that spurred the meeting weren't appropriate. Instead, the student said he wanted to go back to class and was allowed to do so.
"I knew a fraction of what we know now," Ejak said.
While watching footage of the shooting later in the day, he recalled thinking while on the phone with police that the Crumbleys' son was involved.
Testimony is set to begin again on Tuesday, March 12, at 9 a.m.