Shooter’s parents convicted for the first time in US Trump prosecutor allowed to continue investigation in Georgia

The father of a teenager who shot four students at a Michigan school in 2021 has been found guilty of negligent homicide. A jury announced its verdict on Thursday evening (local time) in Pontiac, Michigan.

The mother was also convicted

A few weeks earlier, the teen’s mother had also been convicted of four counts of negligent homicide.

The murder weapon was a gift from his parents to their then 15-year-old son, with which he committed the murders shortly afterwards.

First in American history

It was the first time in the United States that a parent of a shooter was convicted of personal responsibility for such a crime.

The parents have been brought to court in separate proceedings. The son had pleaded guilty to all 24 charges. Last year he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. He did not testify in the trials against his parents.

Although fathers and mothers have sometimes been held responsible for negligent behavior in the past, this case marked the first time parents of a juvenile shooter were found guilty of negligent homicide.

Where does the parents’ fault lie?

After the crime, serious accusations were made against the teenager’s parents for purchasing the murder weapon and allowing their minor son access to it.

They also allegedly ignored warnings from the boy’s school environment. The father’s defense argued during the trial that their client had no idea what his son was planning.

The case once again brought into focus the question of parents’ responsibility for the actions of their children.

What threatens the parents?

Both parents now face fifteen years in prison; the punishment will not be announced until a later date.

With material from the SDA and DPA news agencies