Carol Ofori zones in on the capture of Oxford School shooter's parents
How much of what happened is the parents' responsibility?
As parents, there are those moments when we hear about horror stories of shootings and accidents that leave us petrified. Mostly because there are times when we are not able to physically be there to protect our children.
But very rarely do we consciously put a face to those who are putting our children's lives at risk and if we do, very rarely is it another child who we picture being the perpetrator. The reality is that times have changed, and the face of crime is ever changing...
From the old lady with the walking stick to the young teenager who went to school with your kid from pre-school, the true face of crime is no longer something that is stereotypical but rather something that catches us by surprise.
A 15-year-old boy, Ethan Crumbley, who took his parents' gun to school and subsequently shot dead four other students and injured several others, has been in custody since the shooting last Friday. But his parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, who fled their home after the incident, for their own safety, were found not far off the school on Saturday.
"Police found them in an industrial building in Detroit -- 64 kilometres from the scene of the shooting in Oxford -- close to where their suspected vehicle had been found. The Crumbleys' lawyers Shannon Smith and Mariell Lehman had previously told AFP that after leaving town on the night of the shooting "for their own safety," the parents would be "returning to the area to be arraigned." (eNCA)
This got us thinking about the parenting part of things, and what they must be going through at this moment. The thing about this situation is how much of what happened should be accounted for by the parents and then by the son?
Firstly, the gun was the father's and when it comes to gun safety, the number one rule is to make sure that if you have a gun, it is safely locked away. More than that, what motivated this teenager to act the way he did? Did his parents know something for them to have fled and left their son alone to face the consequences?
"Ethan Crumbley has been charged as an adult with state murder and terror charges. While school shootings carried out by teens occur frequently in the United States, it is unusual for parents to face charges." (eNCA)
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