School Shooting in Suburban Detroit Leaves 4 Dead

The type of gun used in the Oxford High School shooting.

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The type of gun used in the Oxford High School shooting.

Maggie Brickman, Reporter

Shots were fired on Tuesday November 30th at Oxford High School, located about thirty miles north of Detroit, Michigan. Four people were killed and eight people were left injured. The suspect is fifteen-year-old, Ethan Crumbley who has now been charged with two dozen crimes including terrorism, murder, and attempted murder.

Hundreds of 911 calls about an active shooter at the school started coming to authorities just before 1 p.m. Law enforcement agencies, SWAT teams, and ambulances arrived at the scene as students evacuated. Once they were evacuated the students were taken to a nearby store to be reunited with their families.

“Authorities took action and within five minutes the suspect had been taken into custody,” Oakland County Undersheriff Michael McCabe said.

According to officials, when they arrived on the scene the suspect did not put up a fight at the time and he did not have the weapon on him. A 9mm Sig Sauer handgun and two ammunition clips were found at the scene. The firearm and three 15 shot ammunition clips were purchased by the suspects father on Friday, November 26th.

After Crumbley’s father had purchased the gun, there were multiple posts made about a countdown to the shooting. An Instagram account was made called Black Death and in the biography to the account it read “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds. See you tomorrow, Oxford.” This account also features horror movie villains like Michael Meyers and Saw from Jaws. This leads investigators to believe that this incident was premeditated and that this was not an impulse thought.

Earlier in the day Crumbley and his parents had been in a meeting with administrators at the school about behavioral concerns. After this meeting, he emerged from the school bathrooms and starting shooting. Currently, Crumbley is being held at a juvenile facility but could be moved if he is charges as an adult.

Michigan Governor, Gretchen Whitmer said that these deaths were “horrific” and that is time to come together to “help our children feel safe at school.” At a news conference on Tuesday, she got emotional saying that this event was “every parent’s worst nightmare.”

President Joe Biden was speaking at a technical school in Minnesota on Tuesday added, “My heart goes out to the families enduring the unimaginable grief of losing a loved one. That whole community has to be just in a state of shock right now.” The four victims that were killed were Madisyn Baldwin, 17, Hanna St. Julianna, 14, Tate Myre, 16, Justin Shilling, 17.

Madisyn Baldwin was involved with her family and was one of three siblings. She was about to graduate was accepted into several colleges and many of them with full scholarships.

Hanna St. Julianna was a freshman who played on the volleyball and basketball team. She had made her debut on the Oxford Women’s Basketball Team the night before her death.

Tate Myre was a standout tight end and linebacker on the school’s football team. Before the shooting, he had recently won school honors. Since his passing, 33,000 people have signed a petition to rename the school’s stadium “Tate Myre Stadium.”

Justin Shilling was the last one to pass away. He died Wednesday after fighting in the hospital overnight. He worked at local restaurant called Anita’s Kitchen. Workers from that restaurant have said Shilling was a great kid to work with and always showed up with a smile on his face.

A mass was held at St. Joeseph Catholic Church in Lake Orion, Michigan on Thursday night to honor the lives that were lost. There was also a vigil held at Children’s Park to honor the victims.