Families break down as Oxford school shooting video is shown in court
In a packed courtroom, where only the sounds of muffled cries could be heard, school shooter Ethan Crumbley bowed his head and stared at the floor as a video of the massacre he carried out was played in a public setting for the first time Thursday.
The video was introduced as evidence as part of a two-day hearing in Oakland County Circuit Court to determine whether life in prison without the possibility of parole is an appropriate sentence for Crumbley, who was 15 when he murdered four classmates, injured six others and a teacher. He pleaded guilty to it all.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald showed the school surveillance video, arguing it shows why Crumbley should never be free again. His lawyer, Paulette Loftin, disagrees, arguing he is too young, had a difficult life and can be rehabilitated one day.
Loftin showed no expression while the video played as her teenage client sat quietly next to her.
More: Ethan Crumbley texted friend about torturing people and birds, and his desire to kill
What the surveillance video showed
Crumbley entered a school bathroom wearing a red backpack in a hallway close to classroom 258. The video showed the typical hustle and bustle of a school day at that point, with teens walking down the hallway.
Shortly thereafter, Crumbley walked out of the bathroom and immediately started firing into a cluster of students rapidly. His first victim was student Phoebe Arthur. He shot her in the face and chest, though she survived. Hana St. Juliana, 14, was fatally shot.
Detective Edward Wagrowski, who is with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office computer crimes unit and has extensively reviewed the surveillance footage, said after firing the first round of shots, Crumbley sprinted down the hallway and fatally shot 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin.
As the shooting started, students began running frantically.
Crumbley, though, at one point in the video appeared calm as he walked down the hallway.
As the video continues, a student is seen collapsing in the hallway. According to police testimony, it was 16-year-old Tate Myre, who was shot from behind from a long distance and was then shot again while he was on the ground. At one point in the video, Crumbley later calmly walks past Myre as the victim lay motionless. Myre was killed in the shooting.
Robert Koteles Jr., a forensic lab specialist and crime scene investigator with the sheriff's office, testified that Crumbley fired the gun 32 times.
Deputies rush in; Crumbley surrenders
The video also shows Crumbley shooting at doors. Earlier in the hearing, photos of the crime scene were presented, showing bullet holes in doors and windows.
At one point in the video, Crumbley goes back into the bathroom. At close to 12:58 p.m., deputies entered the building with guns. They rush in, on a mission to find the shooter, which involves listening for gunshots and screaming.
On the video, a student can be seen running frantically from the bathroom. Crumbley comes out shortly thereafter. He has his hands up, gets on his knees and puts his hands behind his head, then lays on his stomach. Two deputies can be seen over him.
Before he surrendered, police have said Crumbley killed his fourth victim inside the bathroom: Justin Shilling, 17, who died the following day in a local hospital.
Locating Crumbley was an especially difficult mission for police, given what they saw when they entered the building that day, said Oakland County Sheriff's Lt. Timothy Willis, who testified at the hearing.
“I know those officers and the most difficult thing for them and something we weren’t prepared for is how do you push past a child that needs help,” Willis testified.
The shooting, Willis added, has left a permanent scar on the Oxford community.
"There’s been a lot more suffering," Willis testified. "This made no sense."
While the video was shown, several people in the packed courtroom, including family members of the victims, stepped out, some heading into a room down the hall designated for people to regain their composure.
As the video played, the hallway grew silent instinctively.
Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Oxford school shooting video shown for 1st time in court
