Oxford High School shooting suspect Ethan Crumbley told counselor disturbing bloody drawings were for ‘video game’

THE alleged school shooter Ethan Crumbley told guidance counselors the disturbing drawings his teacher found were for a video game he was designing, school officials have said.

Hours before Crumbley, 15, is said to have fired a semi-automatic handgun which killed four people and injured seven others at Oxford High School, a teacher discovered a note on his desk with a drawing of a handgun pointing at the words, “The thoughts won’t stop, help me,” prosecutors said.

Another depiction had a drawing of a bullet along with the words “Blood everywhere” above it, and a drawing of a bleeding person who appeared to have been shot twice, according to prosecutors.

Following the discovery of the note, Crumbley was removed from the classroom and his parents called, prosecutors added

Crumbley is said to have told school guidance counselors the “concerning” drawings were for a video game he was designing, and he wanted to pursue video game design as a career, according to Oxford Community Schools Superintendent Tim Throne in a message to the school community Saturday.

Throne noted Crumbley’s parents were “were difficult to reach” and while they waited for their arrival the teenager sat in the counselors’ office doing his homework for 90 minutes while staff “continued to observe, analyse and speak” with him, reports.

"At no time did counselors believe the student might harm others based on his behavior, responses and demeanor, which appeared calm," Throne said.

When his parents eventually arrived, counselors “asked specific and probing questions regarding the potential for self-harm or harm to others,” according to Throne.

But the answers Crumbley gave, as well as from his parents, led the counselors to believe there was no threat of violence, either to himself or others, the superintendent said.

"The student’s parents never advised the school district that he had direct access to a firearm or that they had recently purchased a firearm for him," Throne said.

The superintendent also added that "whether or not the gun was in his backpack has not been confirmed by law enforcement to our knowledge nor by our investigation at this time."

Crumbley’s parents were also advised at the meeting they were required to get their son counselling within 48 hours.

"When the parents were asked to take their son home for the day, they flatly refused and left without their son, apparently to return to work," Throne said.

Throne said the lack of disciplinary record led staff to send Crumbley back to class “rather than… to an empty house.”

He added he had asked for a third-party investigation of all of Crumbley’s communication with students and staff leading up to the shooting.

Crumbley is being charged as an adult in connection with the shooting which prosecutors say was premeditated.

He is facing four counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of assault with intent to murder.

A judge entered a not guilty plea for him during his first court appearance Wednesday.

During a briefing Saturday Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard was asked if there was any evidence which indicated the shooting was going to happen.

Bouchard replied: We have clear evidence this was premeditated and he was actually looking forward to it."

Crumbley’s parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, have also been charged in connection with the shooting.

They have both pleaded not guilty to four counts of involuntary manslaughter Saturday morning in their first hearing since being taken into custody in the middle of the night after allegedly hiding in Detroit.