Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley's parents Jennifer and James come face to face in court for sentencing after bombshell trial revealed her affair with firefighter lover

James and Jennifer Crumbley are set to be sentenced together over their manslaughter convictions related to their teen son Ethan's 2021 school shooting.

The Michigan parents each face up to 15 years in prison, after they were found guilty at separate trials of callously ignoring their son's pleas for mental health support before buying him the gun he used to kill four classmates. 

James was led first into the courtroom in orange prison fatigues before his estranged wife joined him at their attorney's table minutes later, with both appearing to make efforts not to look at the other and stare directly ahead. 

Prosecutors have asked the judge to sentence each parent to between 10 and 15 years in state prison, citing their 'chilling lack of remorse.' 

James was particularly called out by prosecutors, and he had his communications cut during his trial after making a series of threatening jail calls, including saying Prosecuting Attorney Karen McDonald would face 'retribution.'

Their son Ethan was 15 when he opened fire on classmates at Oxford High School in November 2021, killing four and injuring seven others. He is currently serving life without the possibility of parole. 

Following the shooting, the Crumbley's fled the Oxford Township area after charges against them were announced. 

They remained on the run for around a day, drained their bank accounts, and turned off their phones before being captured in a Detroit art studio, moves that took center stage at their trials. 

The parents were also accused of recklessly buying Ethan the gun used in the tragedy while ignoring his pleas for help, as their juries saw his diary where he detailed how his parents 'won't help.'  

James and Jennifer were tried separately at their own request, and their trials marked the first-time parents have ever faced charges over their child's school shooting. The married couple have been estranged for years as they have both been incarcerated since their arrest over two years ago. 

At Jennifer's trial, her claims that she was 'too busy' to help Ethan on the day of the shooting after he was caught drawing disturbing images of school shootings were shot down as humiliating revelations of her private life were heard by the court. 

Namely, she was caught having an extramarital affair with a local fire captain amid claims she met up with him during the tragedy, alongside allegations about her use of online hookup apps as prosecutors painted her as a negligent mother. 

The parents' attorneys have countered prosecution's sentencing request by asking for less than fire years each. 

Jennifer's attorney has also requested that the 27 months she has already served be credited in sentencing, and she be placed under house arrest 'on a tether' at her defense attorney's home.  

In their request for lenient sentencing, Jennifer's attorney said she is 'hugely distraught and remorseful' over the shooting. 

However, she faced scrutiny when she took the stand in her own defense at trial, as Jennifer insisted she was not at fault and the blame laid with her husband, son and the school. She testified: 'I've asked myself if I would have done anything differently, and I wouldn't have.'  

In a separate request, James Crumbley's attorney said the father has 'expressed significant remorse' for his role in the tragedy, and asked for him to be sentenced to 28 months in prison with time served alongside maximum period of supervision.

Alternatively, the attorney sought for 43 months in prison with credit for time served. 

James had his communications cut off from anyone besides his legal team during his trial after he made a series of 'threatening' jail house calls, including saying the prosecutors would face 'retribution.'

His attorney denied his calls were threats, and insisted James 'at worst engaged in frustrated name calling.' 

At James' trial, jurors heard that he bought his son the Sig Sauer 9mm firearm used in the shooting at a Black Friday sale four days before the school shooting, and Jennifer took him to the gun range the day after the purchase. 

James failed to properly secure the gun, keeping it only in a lock box that Ethan easily opened on the day of the shooting. His trial also heard that he kept other guns locked only with the code '000.'  

A significant portion of both parents' trials was also spent on a crucial school meeting the morning of the shooting. 

Ethan's teachers became concerned after looking at his math homework, where he made disturbing drawings of shootings and wrote: 'The thoughts won't stop, help me.'

Unbeknownst to others in the room, Ethan had stolen the 9mm semiautomatic handgun from his home, which James had failed to lock up. At his trial, it was heard that the cable lock for the gun was still in its packaging inside the box. 

James and Jennifer were brought into school to discuss the drawings, but both said they were 'too busy' to take him home and went back to work. Less than two hours later, Ethan opened fire.