At least 4 killed in shooting at Michigan high school

The suspect accused of killing four fellow students at a Michigan high school has arrived at Oakland County Jail and is being processed, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s office.

Authorities charged 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley as an adult, with terrorism causing death and four counts of first-degree murder. He was also charged with seven counts of assault with intent to murder and 12 counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald said.

During his arraignment Wednesday, Lt. Tim Willis said two separate videos were recovered from his cellphone via search warrant, where he talked about shooting and killing students the next day at Oxford High School.

Willis said in addition to the cellphone, a journal was recovered from his backpack detailing his, “desire to shoot up the school to include murdering students.”

Crumbley’s lawyer entered a plea of not guilty on his client’s behalf at Wednesday’s arraignment.

Juliette Kayyem, CNN's national security analyst

Authorities have charged the 15-year-old suspect accused of killing four students in Oxford, Michigan, with four counts of first-degree murder and terrorism, among other charges.

Juliette Kayyem, CNN’s national security analyst, said that the prosecutor’s decision to charge the suspect with one count of terrorism causing death focused on the actions of the shooter to intimidate a population.

Some context: The Federal Bureau of Investigations defines domestic terrorism as “violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.”

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon that the alleged actions by the suspect fulfill the requirements for a terrorism charge.

“What about all these other children, what about all the children who ran, screaming, hiding under desks,” she said. “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 back in school – those are victims too and so are their families and so is the community and the charge of terrorism reflects that.”

Michigan prosecutors said video from the school surveillance cameras shows the shooting suspect “methodically and deliberately” walking the hallways and aiming a gun at students and firing.

Prosecutor Marc Keast said in court, “what is depicted on that video, honestly judge, I don’t have the words to describe how horrific that was.”

Keast described the video saying, just before 12:51 p.m. Tuesday, the suspect could be seen with a backpack, then a minute or two later he exited the bathroom without the backpack but with a gun in hand. At that point, he “methodically and deliberately” walked out of the hallways aiming the firearm at students and firing.

He started firing right outside the bathroom, Keast said, but after children started running away, he continued to go down the hallway at a “methodical pace” and shot inside classrooms and at students who hadn’t had the opportunity to escape.

This continued for another four or five minutes and he went to another bathroom, Keast said. When deputies arrived, he set down the gun and surrendered.

A preliminary investigation has found that the suspect in Tuesday’s shooting at Oxford High School remained in the school hallway for the duration of the shooting, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. He never went into any rooms, and never knocked on any doors, Bouchard added.

The shooting suspect was identified as a 15-year-old boy by Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald on Wednesday. He has been charged as an adult, with terrorism causing death and first-degree murder, among other charges, in connection with the fatal shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan.

Bouchard said based on their initial investigation, the first time the suspect is seen with a weapon is on surveillance video coming out of the bathroom at the school, but investigators are still working to piece together a timeline of events.

The sheriff also said he is not aware of any law enforcement agency that had the suspect on their radar prior to Tuesday’s shooting.

Bouchard said their investigation found that the suspect actually had 18 remaining rounds on him. He clarified remarks he made Tuesday, when he said the suspect had seven remaining rounds, explaining on Wednesday that additional rounds were found in a magazine.

Law enforcement authorities believe the suspect fired at least 30 shots, due to at least 30 shell casings recovered at the scene, Bouchard said. 

A search and forensic processing of the crime scene at Oxford High School began on Tuesday after the shooting and continued throughout the night until 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Bouchard added.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said there is no indication that the suspected shooter had been disciplined or complained about being bullied at school.

Bouchard said he personally asked the school district about the matter and “they had no information in any of their records that he had been bullied and we have had no information brought to our attention from any other source that he had been bullied.”

The sheriff also said the suspect was not on any law enforcement radar.

“We had no communication about him or about anything that was pending,” he said. “And I haven’t heard from any law enforcement agency that they did.”

Bouchard said he assumes that the shooter carried the gun into the school or put it in the waistband of his pants.

Ethan Crumbley appears on a video arraignment at 52nd District Court in front of Judge Nancy Carniak in Rochester Hills, Michigan, on December 1.

The arraignment of Ethan Crumbley — charged as an adult with terrorism and first degree murder offenses in connection with the fatal Michigan school shooting – is happening now.

The suspect faces first-degree murder, terrorism and other charges.

Oakland County, Michigan, Sheriff Michael Bouchard provided updates on the condition of the victims from the Oxford High School shooting.

“The 17-year-old fourth victim passed today at McLaren Hospital shortly after 10 a.m., as our fourth decedent to die from gunshot wounds in Tuesday’s senseless shooting,” Bouchard told reporters during a news conference.

Bouchard also updated reporters on the condition of the seven people who were injured during the shooting.

“Six students, one teacher, four remain hospitalized, three have now been treated and released,” Bouchard said.

“A 14-year-old male remains in serious condition with… gunshot wounds to the jaw and hand. A 17-year-old female with neck wounds. She is at the local area McLaren Hospital,” the sheriff said.

He continued, “a 14-year-old female has improved, thankfully, I would say no small part to great medical care, emergency responders, fire service, and prayers.”

That 14-year-old female victim “has been removed from critical to stable with gunshot wounds to the left chest and neck. She’s at Hurley Medical in Flint,” Bouchard added.

A 17-year-old female “still remains in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the chest,” Bouchard said. “So still looking for prayers and support for her and her family.”

Three of the injured have now been discharged, including a 15-year-old male who had a wound to the left leg, a 17-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the hip and a 47-year-old female teacher, who suffered a gunshot wound to her left shoulder, the sheriff said.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said Wednesday that the parents of the 15-year-old suspect in Tuesday’s school shooting that left four students dead at Oxford High School in Michigan met with school officials that morning.

“In fact, the parents were brought in the morning of the shooting and had a face-to-face meeting with the school,” he said.

The sheriff continued, “The content of that meeting obviously is part of the investigation, but we did not learn of that meeting, nor of the content of that meeting until after the shooting and during this investigation.”

Bouchard added that the shooting suspect “was released back into the school from the meeting.”

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard

Authorities continue to uncover new details about what happened during a shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan that left at least four students dead

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said at a news conference on Wednesday that the shooter had 18 live rounds of ammunition left when he was taken into custody.

That is different from what was previously reported by the sheriff’s office. Bouchard said they initially thought there were only seven rounds left in the suspects pocket, but they later found additional rounds in an actual magazine.

Bouchard said authorities have recovered 30 shell castings while processing the scene, meaning the shooter fired more than 30 shots.

The sheriff also said law enforcement is joining with the prosecutor to ask that the shooter be transferred to the Oakland County Jail. He is currently being held at Oakland County Children’s Village, a juvenile detention facility.

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald

Authorities are considering charges against both parents of the suspect in the fatal Oxford Michigan high school shooting, with the prosecutor saying a decision would be made on that “swiftly.”

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald said the shooting was premeditated “well before the incident,” adding that a “mountain of digital evidence” adds to the confidence in the charges of first-degree murder. 

The charge of first-degree murder “requires premeditation and I am absolutely sure after reviewing the evidence that it isn’t even a close call, it was absolutely premeditated” 

She said the digital evidence includes video tapes, social media and more.

When asked about how long this was premeditated, she said “well before the incident” without specifying. 

She would not comment on whether the victims were targeted. She also addressed the atypical decision to charge the suspect with a terrorism offense. 

“What about all these other children, what about all the children who ran, screaming, hiding under desks,” she said. “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 back in school – those are victims too and so are their families and so is the community and the charge of terrorism reflects that.”

She also called for stronger gun laws, saying, “If the incident yesterday with four children being murdered and multiple children being injured is not enough to revisit our gun laws, I don’t know what is.”

The suspect faces life in prison as he has been charged as an adult, the prosecutor verified.

When the shooter was right outside his classroom, Zander Cumbey said all he could do was wait and hope they would be okay.

Cumbey is a student at Oxford High School who survived the shooting on Tuesday afternoon. He told CNN the gunshots were about 20 feet away from the classroom he and his classmates were hiding in.

He said he was on the phone with 911, but was not able to talk to the operator.

“I just said ‘Oxford High School, shooter’ because I couldn’t talk. He was right outside my classroom,” Cumbey said. “I had to be quiet. We were there, just waiting, hoping we would be okay.”

He said all of the students huddled into the corner of the room least visible from the door. Some students were crying, others were texting their families to say they loved them.

“I texted both my parents, told them I loved them. I told them what was going on. I texted my grandparents. I texted my little brother who was also in the school trying to make sure to see if he was okay,” Cumbey said.

On top of processing what happened, Cumbey is also mourning the loss of one of his friends who was shot and killed.

Tate Myre was one of the students who died. Cumbey said he and Myre had been close friends for five or six years and played on the same football team.

“He was a great person, a.great leader. He’s just always wanted to make sure everyone was okay and involved in everything he could,” Cumbey said.

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald

Prosecutors are considering charges against the parents of the 15-year-old suspect in the school shooting that left four students dead in Oxford, Michigan, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald announced today.

The 15-year-old suspect has been charged with one count of terrorism causing death, four counts of first-degree murder and other charges. He will be charged as an adult.

“We are considering charges against both parents,” McDonald said after announcing the charges against the suspect.

The suspect in the Michigan high school shooting will be charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count terrorism causing death, among other charges.

The 15-year-old suspect is being charged as an adult, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald announced at a news conference.

The suspect also faces seven counts of assault with intent to murder and 12 counts of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Additional charges are possible, McDonald said.

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01:24 - Source: CNN

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald just named the suspect in the Oxford High School shooting yesterday.

We are working to confirm the spelling of the suspect’s name.

At least four students died in the shooting yesterday.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called Tuesday’s shooting at Oxford High School “horrific” and urged action around gun violence in a video statement released Wednesday. 

“Yesterday was every student’s, teacher’s and parent’s worst nightmare. The death of multiple students and the shooting of others, including a teacher, at Oxford High School is horrific,” she said in a statement posted on Twitter. “This is a time for Michiganders to come together for the Oxford community. We have to wrap our arms around this town that’s going through unimaginable pain and heartbreak.”

Whitmer called for action around what she called “the gun violence public health crisis.” 

Whitmer said, as a parent, her heart was with the parents and families of Oxford and called on the greater community’s support. 

“We all hugged our kids a little tighter yesterday,” the governor said. “We all have to be there for them in every way that we can to help them be strong and lift their spirits through our actions, not only our thoughts and prayers.”

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald will announce charges related to the Oxford High School shooting case at a 2 p.m. news conference, according to a news release.

At least four students died in a school shooting yesterday, and at least eight other people were injured.

The suspect, a 15-year-old student, was taken into custody shortly after the shooting, the sheriff’s office said. Michael McCabe, the undersheriff and chief deputy for Oakland County, previously said the suspect could be charged as an adult, but that is up to the prosecutor’s office.

Oxford, Michigan, district schools are closed today as the community grapples with tragedy. Four students are dead after a shooting at Oxford High School yesterday.

Here’s what we know so far:

What’s next: McCabe said the suspect could be charged as an adult, but that is up to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald said in a statement Tuesday her office has “begun the process of receiving information regarding the investigation” into the shooting.

Authorities are planning to give an update at a news conference later this afternoon.

The Oxford High School shooting that has claimed the lives of four students in Michigan was the deadliest US school shooting since eight students and two teachers were killed in May 2018 at Texas’ Santa Fe High School, according to a CNN tally. 

There have been 48 shootings this year on K-12 schools, 32 of them since Aug. 1.

Oxford High School is shown in Oxford, Michigan, on November 30.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents continue to work the investigation into the deadly Michigan school shooting, specifically working to identify and process ballistic evidence, according to a statement from the agency.

Tracy Morris, spokesperson for ATF Detroit Field Office, said Tuesday “a contingency of Special Agents, including an explosive detection canine team from the Detroit Field Division responded to an ‘active shooter’ call.”

“Upon arriving at the scene, they conducted clearing operations and investigative leads in conjunction with Oakland County Detectives,” the statement said.

Previously, ATF agents helped search the suspected shooter’s home.

“They conducted a search warrant of the shooters home, and as firearms experts they continue to work side-by-side with Oakland County Sheriff’s office to provide technical expertise by identifying and processing ballistic evidence,” the statement added.

All district schools in the Oxford, Michigan, school community will be closed for the remainder of the week in the wake of a school shooting that claimed the lives of four students and wounded several others and one teacher.

“As we grapple with the horrific tragedy in our school community all district schools will be closed for the remainder of the week,” Oxford Community Schools posted on its website.

“District families and staff, please see your email from OCS for details on available grief counseling,” the posting said.