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James Crumbley, father of the shooter, now faces up to 15 years in prison
Photo: Mandi Wright / AP
After the mother, the father has now also been found guilty of negligent homicide: her then 15-year-old son killed four classmates and injured a teacher and six other students at his high school in November 2021.
You yourself had given him the murder weapon.
It is the first time in the United States that the parents of a shooter have been convicted of personal responsibility for such a crime.
The verdict against the mother was pronounced at the beginning of February.
Both parents now face 15 years in prison.
The sentence will only be announced at a later date.
James Crumbley's lawyers argued during the trial that their client had no idea what his son Ethan was planning.
However, there were warnings from the boy's school environment that he could become violent.
The parents were called to the school on the day of the crime because drawings of the 15-year-old's violent fantasies had been found.
They are said to have refused to take their son home with them - and also did not check whether he had the weapon with him.
A short time later, the teenager opened fire.
Ethan Crumbley was sentenced last year to life in prison without parole and no chance of parole.
He had pleaded guilty to all charges.
He did not testify in the trials against his parents.
The case once again brings into focus the question of parents' responsibility for their children's actions.
Although fathers and mothers have sometimes been held responsible for negligent behavior in the past, this case marked the first time that parents of an underage shooter were found guilty of negligent homicide.
vet/dpa