Oakland County prosecutors agree to work with AG Nessel to launch Oxford School High shooting investigation
OXFORD, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office confirms it has agreed to work with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to investigate the deadly Oxford High School shooting.
The prosecutor's office did not provide any additional information.
Nessel's office issued a statement on Thursday, saying "We are in discussions with the legislature and governor's office to ensure the office has adequate resources for a comprehensive, timely review of the Oxford matter, and we look forward to working with the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office and Oakland County Sheriff's Department on a timeline for them to provide all the necessary materials relevant to this review."
This comes days after the parents of the victims called for a state-led investigation into the Nov. 30, 2021, shooting that killed four students. In a news conference on Monday, the families of Madisyn Baldwin, Hana St. Juliana, Tate Myre and Justin Shilling called on Michigan lawmakers to mandate and fund the independent investigation.
Nessel has previously offered to conduct an investigation on several occasions, but the Oxford Community Schools board has rejected each offer. The school board instead hired New York-based firm Guidepost Solutions, which released a 572-page report in October 2023. The report said all levels of Oxford Community Schools "bear responsibility" and failed to provide a safe environment for students.
Families of the shooting victims said the Guidepost investigation "lacked subpoena power, resulting in many school employees being advised by their attorneys to not participate, leaving crucial questions unanswered."
Following the news conference, Nessel said the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office and the Oakland County Sheriff's Office declined any assistance from Nessel's office.
However, McDonald said she was unaware "of any action needed by my office to activate the Attorney General's authority, but we will do everything possible to enable such an investigation. And my office will fully cooperate with any such investigation."
The shooter, Ethan Crumbley, was sentenced in December 2023 to life without the possibility of parole, while his parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, were sentenced in April to 10-15 years in prison after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
The shooter has since requested to withdraw his guilty plea, but prosecutors urged Judge Kwame Rowe the request.
