EFor the first time in the US, the parents of a teenager who caused a school massacre were sentenced to prison for manslaughter. It tells the story of a teenager who shot four students at a school in the US state of Michigan in 2021. Her mother and father were each sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison, the judge in charge in Michigan announced Tuesday. The parents were found guilty in separate proceedings a few weeks ago. Now the punishment was announced.
This is the first time in the United States that the parents of a shooter have been convicted of personal liability for such a crime. The murder weapon was a gift from his parents to their then 15-year-old son, which he used to commit murders soon after.
The parents had bought a murder weapon
Shortly before the sentence was announced, relatives of the four youths who died in the attack spoke in the courtroom on Tuesday. The mother of the 17-year-old who was killed said through tears that she wished she had died instead of her daughter. He accused the convicts of being a complete failure as parents and causing terrible suffering to other families. The mother of the second victim complained that the perpetrator's parents could have prevented the tragedy.
The teenager's parents faced serious charges after the crime for purchasing the murder weapon and giving their minor son access to it. They also allegedly ignored warnings from the boy's school environment.
Focus on parental responsibility
The parents were brought before the 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.
The case once again brought into focus the issue of parents' responsibility for their children's actions. While fathers and mothers have been held responsible for negligent behavior in the past, this case marked the first time the parents of a minor shooter were found guilty of negligent homicide.