Nearly a year later after the Oxford High School shooting in late November last year, the victims and their families are finally getting justice, which Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she was “grateful” for after Ethan Crumbley pled guilty recently.
Bridge Michigan reported that Crumbley, 16, pleaded guilty to killing four classmates at Oxford High School and injuring seven others last year, ending an insanity plea and admitting to the state’s worst school shooting, according to the article.
Crumbley pleaded guilty to the 24 charges against him in Oakland Circuit Court in Pontiac, which includes first-degree murder and terrorism causing death, according to the article.
“My thoughts are with the students, teachers, staff, and families of Oxford High. I hope this outcome offers them some peace after last year’s horrific shooting,” Whitmer said. “I want to thank Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald for her hard work on this case, all the first responders and local law enforcement officials who responded to and investigated the shooting, and the countless community leaders—teachers, parents, and pastors—who brought the community together to heal.
“Also, I am grateful to the Michigan Legislature for their collaboration on bipartisan legislation to invest additional resources into Oxford Community Schools to help them hire mental health professionals, enhance security, and offer additional learning time to students in the wake of the tragedy.
“As Michiganders, we must do more to protect each other from gun violence. Let’s work together on background checks, secure storage, and red flag laws—commonsense gun violence prevention measures to keep our communities safe.”
Bipartisan Legislation on School Safety, Oxford Support
In June, Governor Whitmer signed legislation that fully funds risk assessments and critical incidence mapping at every school in the state to help protect students and create safety plans in the event of an emergency.
HB 6012 also delivered $10 million to Oxford Community Schools to help them recover from the November 2021 shooting. The funds will be used for personnel and additional student supports, including psychologists, family liaisons, mental health staff, school security, additional learning time, legal fees, and the physical restoration of a school building.
In July, Governor Whitmer signed a balanced, bipartisan education budget making the highest state per-student investment in Michigan history to improve every kid’s in-class experience. The budget sent $210 million to make schools safer and an additional $250 million to respond to student mental health needs, with every school receiving dedicated per-student funding—$214 for every kid in every district—specifically for campus safety and mental health.
These dedicated school safety and mental health dollars can be used by schools to hire more mental health professionals, harden buildings, and create an intervention system for students who are at-risk. The education budget also allocated an additional $25 million specifically for schools to hire more on-campus school resource officers.
How Michigan District Can Use Student Safety Funds
School districts can use funds from the budget to keep students, teachers, and staff safe. Districts have already started using resources to make several school safety investments, including:
- Installing door security systems: providing an extra layer of security during lockdowns and assisting with barricading doors.
- Testing emergency notification systems: ensuring effective lines of communication from every classroom to the main office or law enforcement and public safety officials.
- Establishing school reunification sites: establishing procedure for pickup for all schools in the event of an evacuation.
- Forming a safety committee: bring together a broad range of perspectives, thoughts, and ideas including but not limited to parents, teachers, staff, local law enforcement.
- Increase collaboration with public safety departments: work closely with local law enforcement, strengthen relationships between teachers, staff, students, and public safety officials.
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