(NewsNation) — The parents of Ethan Crumbley, the Michigan school shooter who killed four and injured seven others in 2021, were sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison for their role in the attack.
The parents of some of Crumbley’s victims testified at the sentencing, including Craig Shilling, father of Justin Shilling.
Craig joined NewsNation’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” to discuss Jennifer and James Crumbley’s sentences, saying they were about accountability.
“It really wasn’t about the sentencing per se. It really was about just bringing this to light and getting the accountability,” Shilling said. “The maximum [sentence] really was the best way to go.”
In his emotional testimony Tuesday, Shilling told the court that the blood of their children was on the Crumbleys’ hands, a sentiment that was echoed by several of the family members who spoke.
“That was kind of the whole message I wanted to convey,” Shilling told NewsNation. “Because ultimately, it is their responsibility to break down and their responsibility to prevent this from happening.”
The Crumbleys were accused of not securing the newly purchased gun at home and acting indifferently to signs of their son’s deteriorating mental health, especially when confronted with a chilling classroom drawing earlier that same day.
The Crumbleys were convicted of involuntary manslaughter earlier this year.
Prosecutor Karen McDonald asked the judge to stretch beyond the sentencing guidelines and order a minimum 10-year prison sentence.
Defense attorneys sought to keep the Crumbleys out of prison, noting they have already spent nearly 2 1/2 years in jail, unable to afford a $500,000 bond after their arrest.
They will get credit for that jail time and become eligible for parole after serving 10 years in custody. If release from prison is denied, they could be held for up to 15 years.