Oxford High School shooting: what to know for Thursday

OXFORD, Mich. (FOX 2) - It's been 48 hours since four students were shot and killed by a gunman at Oxford High School. The 15-year-old suspect has been taken into custody and formally charged with four murders and terrorism but this case is only just beginning.

But the picture of what led up to the tragedy that left four teenagers dead and several others injured is still coming into focus. Here's what we've learned over the past two days as investigators continue the gather evidence and release information.

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Who were the victims of the Oxford High School shooting?

The victims have been identified by the Oakland County Sheriff over the past couple of days, starting with Tuesday night at 10 p.m. when we learned their names for the first time.

• 16-year-old Tate Myre died inside a patrol car while deputies were taking him to the hospital
• 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana
• 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin
• 17-year-old Justin Shilling

Shilling passed away Wednesday morning around 10 a.m.

There are still seven other victims recovering from gunshots and are not being named.

• Another victim is a 14-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to the head and jaw. He's in serious condition.
• A 17-year-old girl is stable after being shot in the neck.
• Another victim, a 15-year-old boy, was shot in the leg and is stable.
• A 47-year-old teacher was grazed with a bullet.
• A 14-year-old girl is fighting for her life with chest and neck wounds. The sheriff said she's currently on a ventilator after surgery.
• The final victim is a 17-year-old girl who was shot in the chest and is in critical condition.

MORE: Oxford High School shooting: What’s known about the victims, suspect

Who is the suspect in the Oxford High School shooting?

Ethan Crumbley was identified as the suspect on Wednesday.

Authorities said the suspect walked out of a bathroom in the school with a gun and fire at least 30 shots, hitting 11 people. 

According to the Oakland County Sheriff, the 15-year-old suspect met with his parents and school leaders on Monday and Tuesday to discuss "concerning behavior".

Sources told FOX 2 that the Monday meeting was done in regards to one concerning incident while Tuesday's meeting was about a different problem regarding violent drawings. That meeting took place Tuesday morning, shortly before the mass shooting.

MORE STORIES: Oxford High School Shooting Coverage

We've reached out to the school superintendent, principal, and other school officials regarding the meeting but have not received a response. 

Also revealed on Wednesday was that Crumbley recorded a video Monday night before the violence in which he discussed killing students.

The revelation was made by Oakland County Sheriff's Lt. Tim Willis during a court hearing. 

Authorities have not revealed a possible motive for the violence.

What charges is the Oxford High School shooting suspect facing?

Crumbley is charged with one count of terrorism, four counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of assault with intent to murder, and 12 counts of possession of a firearm while committing a felony.

He was arraigned Wednesday afternoon and a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf.  He was ordered held without bond.

During his court appearance, he uttered only one word: "Yes", when asked if he understood the charges filed against him.

Why is the suspect charged with terrorism?

Crumbley was charged with terrorism as part of a novel approach made possible by a law enacted after the 9/11 attacks nearly 20 years ago.

The state’s 2002 anti-terrorism law defines a terroristic act as one intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population or to affect the conduct of a government through intimidation or coercion. Gun-control advocates who track gunfire incidents on school grounds were not immediately aware of similar terrorism charges having been filed in other states.

"It’s not a usual, a typical charge," Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said of terrorism causing death, adding that the four students who were killed and seven others who were shot are not the only victims. "What about all the children who ran, screaming, hiding under desks? What about all the children at home right now, who can’t eat and can’t sleep and can’t imagine a world where they could ever step foot back in that school? Those are victims, too, and so are their families and so is the community. The charge of terrorism reflects that."

How did the Oxford High School shooting suspect get the gun?

According to Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, the gun used to kill four people Tuesday at Oxford High School was purchased by the suspect's father four days before the shooting, on Black Friday.

Bouchard was asked about how the suspect got access to the gun and said that still remains to be seen.

"How that child came into possession of that weapon is going to be key to (McDonald) being able to make an informed decision If there's a way to determine whether it was given to him or taken illegally. that is all part of the investigation," Bouchard said.

When deputies stopped the teen and took the gun from him, it was loaded and still had seven rounds in it.

"We believe he came out of a bathroom with a weapon in hand. Deputies took (the gun) from him he was walking down the hall," Bouchard said. "That interrupted what could have led to several more victims. The way I see it is, there were seven more victims in that gun."

Authorities searched the suspected shooter's home Tuesday evening and seized evidence, including what appeared to be several long guns.

Will the suspect's parents be charged?

This still remains to be seen.

The gun allegedly used in the shooting is owned by the suspect's father, James Crumbley. James and his wife, Jennifer, attended the arraignment of their son on Wednesday.

It's not clear how the high school sophomore was able to get his hands on his father's weapon but McDonald said they expect to make a decision on charges soon.

"We are going to hold the people responsible accountable, and we will receive justice for these victims," McDonald said.

She used one word to describe her interaction with their parents: "Difficult". 

An immediate timetable on a charging decision was not released. 

"We will be making a decision swiftly," McDonald said.

What was the gun used in the Oxford High School shooting?

The gun used in the shooting is a 9mm Sig Sauer SP 2022 and was purchased by James Crumbley on Nov. 26, according to Bouchard.

It's not immediately clear where he purchased the gun. Bill Kucyk, the owner of Action Impact Gun Range, said that weapon not in stock at many dealers because that model hasn't been manufactured in several years.

Kucyk says the gun has a hair-trigger and can shoot and cycle quicker than others, could have been purchased through a private seller.

"If it was purchased from a citizen and the buyer has a concealed pistol license – then you need only to execute is a pistol sales record and there wouldn’t be a background check," Kucyk said.

He said that state and federal laws are very clear but typically impact only the owner of the gun - who is responsible to keep minors away from guns.

"You can’t allow anyone under the age of 18 unsupervised access to your handguns," said Kucyk.

Are there other school threats in Southeast Michigan?

Yes. On Thursday, dozens of schools canceled classes due to threats posted on social media.

Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said of the complaints his office has investigated, they were not deemed to be credible. But the complexity of the situation amid the fallout from the violence that struck a local district underscores the pressure that both schools and law enforcement are under.

"What we're finding is there's two ways (that threats) are happening," Wickersham said. "One is everybody is aware of what happened and is believing that it could happen in their school and they're thinking about a moment when somebody may have said something off-color, may have made a remark about hurting somebody, and they're now reporting those (threats)."

The other kind of threat being investigated is the ones posted on social media. 

"Overnight in less than a 24-hour period, we had 28 complaints that came into the sheriff's office," said Wickersham. "We had to follow up on each one of those."

As of 9:15 a.m., some 60 schools had dismissed students early or told them not to come in.