Teacher Suspended: How The Oxford Shooter ‘Should Have Done It’

A Michigan teacher was suspended after telling students how the Oxford school shooter could have killed even more students.

On Tuesday, November 30, 2021, alleged 15-year-old sophomore Ethan Crumbley unloaded his 9mm Sig Sauer semi-automatic handgun into a crowded school hallway, killing four students and wounding eight more. In addition to murder, assault, and weapons charges, the shooter is also facing one count of terrorism causing death, an almost unprecedented charge in a school shooting.

The gun, which his father bought for him on Black Friday, was described as a “Christmas present” by his mother in a social media post. Both parents have since been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter. The Blast covered the prosecutor’s explanation of those charges here.

After James Crumbley and Jennifer Crumbley failed to show for their arraignment, a manhunt for the couple began on Friday and ended with them in police custody on Saturday morning, at which time they pled not guilty.

Although all three members of the Crumbley family are now in custody, the community is still trying to figure out how to heal from the trauma that affected every student and staff member since that shooting.

The shock of the shooting permeated surrounding communities, and nearby schools sent memos encouraging teachers to speak with their students about the Oxford High School shooting.

However, one teacher at the Hopkins High School in Michigan took things too far.

Hopkins High School principal Ken Szczepanski confirmed that the teacher made “insensitive” remarks about the shooting.

A parent of a local student told Newsweek that she contacted the school after her child told her that the teacher said that the Oxford shooter should have created a distraction to “kill the people that he would need to.”

The teacher reportedly explained that he "would've pulled a smoke detector, so that he could create a distraction, in order to carry out his hit list and kill the people that he would need to."

According to officials, there is no evidence that the shooter had a hit list, although the investigation is still ongoing.

The parent said that "It was gut-wrenching devastation that a grown adult would mentally harm our children this way” and called on the teacher to be fired.

"Zero tolerance, zero tolerance,” the parent continued. “Absolutely not should he be back in school or teaching anywhere, ever.”

The teacher’s remarks led to rumors that an employee was planning to “shoot up” the school; however, Szczepanski said that “this is a contained situation” and school resumed as usual.

However, at least 519 schools across the country have closed due to threats, including schools in Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

In an interview with Newsweek, the deputy organizing director at gun violence prevention group “March For Our Lives,” Mia Senechal, said, “I can't fault schools for closing out of an abundance caution, but let's be clear: having to close school because there is a real threat to children is sick.”

The investigation into the teacher’s comments is still ongoing.