Gun range videos, social media posts examined as Jennifer Crumbley trial begins: Key things to know about the first day of testimony

PONTIAC (WWJ) — Testimony has concluded after four witnesses were called to the stand during the first day of Jennifer Crumbley's involuntary manslaughter trial in Oakland County Circuit Court on Thursday. Testimony is set to resume at 8:30 a.m. Friday.

On an emotional day that saw a teacher and an assistant principal at Oxford High School share testimony, prosecutors attempted to prove that while Crumbley herself "didn't pull the trigger that day, but she is responsible for those deaths" at the hands of her then-15-year-old son Ethan more than two years ago.

Defense attorneys argued that prosecutors grossly misconstrued evidence in the case against Crumbley, who is charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of Madisyn Baldwin, Justin Shilling, Tate Myre and Hana St. Juliana on Nov. 30, 2021.

"The prosecution has very selectively pulled out slivers of evidence from a forest of trees to try to convince you that there was something wrong with Ethan and that Jennifer Crumbley, as his mom, should have known," said attorney Shannon Smith during opening arguments.

Here's a look at what we learned on the first day of what is the first trial in American history for a parent in connection with a mass shooting carried out by their child.

ATF Special Agent weighs in on gun range videos, Instagram posts and text messages

Prosecutor Karen McDonald called U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent Brett Brandon to the stand, the last of the four witnesses to testify Thursday.

Brandon — in addition to testifying that a cable gun lock for two guns found in the Crumbley home, aside from the murder weapon, looked to be "almost new" and had barely been used — said a gun safe was set to the factory default combination of 000.

He also testified that during a roughly 30-minute video of Jennifer Crumbley and her son at the gun range the day after the murder weapon was bought shows him setting up the target for his mother and showing her how to load the Sig Sauer 9mm.

Following their visit to the gun range that day, Brandon testified that Crumbley posted on her Instagram page: "Mom & son day testing out his new Xmas present. My first time shooting a 9mm I hit the bullseye," accompanied by photos of the weapon and target.

Brandon was also asked whether Crumbley was aware of a troublesome drawing her son made depicting violence on a school worksheet the morning of the shooting.

"It was on her cell phone and she sent it to several people after she received it," Brandon said, noting the drawing had the words "help me, blood everywhere."

Assistant principal, teacher share stories of encounters with shooter, victim

Teacher Molly Darnell, one of seven wounded in the school shooting, was the first to testify Thursday, sharing how she felt like she had been burned with hot water when she was shot.

Darnell testified she believed she wasn't killed only because she moved slightly just before the gun was fired.

Assistant Principal Kristy Gibson-Marshall shared how she ran towards the sound of gunfire, instead of running away. She encountered Myre lying on the ground in the hallway and nudged him with her foot to tell him to stay there, she said Thursday.

She then realized Ethan Crumbley was the shooter and asked him, 'buddy are you okay? What's going on?" Gibson-Marshall and many others became emotional inside the courtroom as video of that scene in the hallway. Under court order, she was not allowed to share more details that she previously divulged during the teen's Miller hearing last year.

Gun store owner questioned about father's purchase days before massacre

Retail store manager Cammy Back testified that James Crumbley and his son had previously come in to buy a gun in June, months before coming back in November. Jennifer Crumbley was not with them, according to Back.

Back said it would be illegal to sell a firearm to a minor, but parents are legally allowed to take their children hunting or to a shooting range. She acknowledged it was "correct" that a parent has the right to take a child to the gun range when prompted by Smith.

Emotional exchange after viewing shooting scene

During a tense exchange following Gibson-Marshall's testimony, McDonald accused Smith of sobbing while video of the shooting scene was shown. Smith denied sobbing, but said she was fixing her eye makeup. She also said it was the first time she had seen the video, which the defense team had sought to keep from the courtroom prior to the trial.

McDonald also said Judge Cheryl Matthews had instructed the legal teams and witnesses to keep emotions in check during the testimony. While Matthews said it is "a very emotional situation for everyone here," she did not ask people not to show emotion, but rather hoped they would exit if they were "audibly sobbing in the audience."

Mother to take stand in her own defense

Smith revealed during opening statements Thursday that Jennifer Crumbley is expected to testify in her own defense.

She will tell jurors about her life with her son, "and the day he did something she never could have anticipated or fathomed or predicted," Smith said.

It is not yet clear when Crumbley will testify.

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After pleading guilty to first degree murder, terrorism and other charges, Ethan Crumbley was sentenced to life in prison without parole. That sentence is being appealed.

James Crumbley will be tried separately from his wife. His trial is scheduled to begin the first week of March.