Parents of the teen suspect in the Michigan school shooting are now considered fugitives, sheriff says

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Parents of the teen suspect in the Michigan school shooting are now considered fugitives, sheriff says
James, left, and Jennifer Crumbley are shown during the video arraignment of their son, Ethan Crumbley in Rochester Hills, Mich., on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021.ASSOCIATED PRESS
  • Multiple law enforcement agencies are searching for the parents of the suspect in the Michigan school shooting.
  • Jennifer and James Crumbley were charged Friday morning in connection to the deadly rampage.
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The parents of the 15-year-old suspect in a Michigan school shooting earlier this week are now considered fugitives, according to a statement from the Oakland County Sheriff's Department.

The news comes as multiple law enforcement agencies search for James and Jennifer Crumbley, who were charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter Friday morning in connection to the shooting.

Ethan Crumbley, the couple's son, was arrested Tuesday in connection to the deadly shooting at Oxford High School that left four students dead and seven injured.

The US Marshals Office joined the search for the Crumbleys on Friday afternoon, announcing that the agency's Detroit Fugitive Apprehension team is also working with local authorities to locate the couple.

The Crumbleys were set to be arraigned Friday afternoon and their attorney had previously agreed to produce them for arrest if they were charged, police said. But when officers went to the couple's home, James and Jennifer were nowhere to be found.

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A law enforcement official told CNN that the Crumbley parents withdrew $4,000 from an ATM in Rochester Hill, Michigan, on Friday — about 15 miles from their hometown of Oxford. Authorities had previously been tracking the couple's location through cellphone pings but said they were no longer able to do so because their phones were turned off, according to the CNN report.

After officials with the sheriff's office announced the couple was missing, Shannon Smith and Mariell Lehman, attorneys representing the couple, told Insider that the Crumbleys left town on the night of the shooting "for their own safety."

The lawyers previously told Insider that the parents were not fleeing and were returning to the area to appear in court.

Steve Huber, a spokesman for the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, told The Daily Beast's Justin Rohrlich that the couple's attorneys had not relayed that same information to their office as they did to the press.

As of Friday evening, the Crumbley's lawyers were still insisting they were not on the run, according to FOX2 reporter Jessica Dupnack.

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The Crumbleys' lawyers did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office charged Ethan Crumbley with four counts of first-degree murder, which implies premeditation; one count of terrorism causing death; seven counts of assault with intent to murder; and 12 counts of felony firearm possession.

While the 15-year-old was represented by a court-appointed defense attorney during his arraignment on Wednesday, his parents have hired private counsel.

Authorities on Tuesday said Ethan Crumbley used a pistol his father had purchased on Black Friday as an apparent Christmas present.

Law enforcement previously said the couple might be driving a black 2021 Kia Seltos SUV with Michigan license plate number DQG 5203 and encouraged anyone with information about the couple's location to call the sheriff's office at (248) 858-4911.

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