Detroit police chief says officers specifically prepared in case Michigan shooting suspect's parents fled

• Detroit cops were prepared in case the parents of the suspected Oxford school shooter fled to the city, the city's police chief said.
• Officers "weren't surprised" when the parents didn't appear in court after being charged, Detroit Police Chief James told the Detroit Free Press.

Detroit cops were prepared in case the parents of the 15-year-old suspect in a deadly Michigan high school shooting fled to the city in the aftermath of the massacre, Detriot's police chief said, explaining that his department's officers "weren't surprised" when the parents didn't show up for their court appearance after being charged.

Authorities organized a manhunt for Jennifer and James Crumbley, the parents of the suspect in Oakland County's Oxford High School shooting, after the couple didn't turn themselves on charges over the November 30 tragedy.

"We literally talked about the possibility of Mr. and Mrs. Crumbley in the Oxford incident and the two of them actually being in our city," Detroit Police Chief James White told the Detroit Free Press.

White added, "We actually debriefed that and talked about our metro division and our resources and what we would have in place should that happen. So, we weren't surprised."

Local police had said the parents weren't in police custody before being charged because their lawyer had assured investigators they would appear in court if they were charged.

"This is policing. Anything could happen," White said, according to the Free Press. "We talked about our protocols. We talk about active shooters, and what we have in the field for active shooters should an active shooter happen. So we weren't surprised. We were prepared."

The Crumbleys were ultimately found staying in a Detroit artist studio and arrested on December 4.

They were each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Their 15-year-old son was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and a terrorism-related charge in connection with the shooting, which left four students dead and several others injured.