LANSING (WWJ) - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has once again offered to launch an independent investigation into the fatal shooting at Oxford High School last November, Nessel's office announced on Tuesday.
After meeting with family members affiliated with Oxford High School on Monday night, Nessel decided to extend a second offer to the Oxford Board of Education to pay for and conduct an investigation into the events that transpired on November 30, 2021.
Nessel said parents and families want transparency and the board of education has an obligation to provide it.
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"The listening session with parents and students in Oxford was incredibly informative," Nessel wrote in her letter to the school board, which was released on Tuesday. "Though there were a wide array of opinions expressed, the overwhelming concern shared by all in attendance was a deep desire to learn more about what happened."
Oxford High School was shoved into the national spotlight last fall when a 15-year-old student open-fired on classmates in a hallway.
The alleged shooter, Ethan Crumbley, is accused of killing four students; six students and a teacher were also wounded.
Crumbley faces a slew of charges, including terrorism and first degree murder.
"Under Michigan law, a local board of education has the ultimate responsibility for school district operations. Among other things, the law gives each board the power to provide for the safety and welfare of students," Nessel wrote in her letter.
"This awesome authority has been placed in the hands of local boards to help ensure that the persons responsible for the critical operations of the school are also directly accountable to the communities they serve. To put it plainly, the families you serve want transparency and – as board members – you have an obligation to provide it."
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Nessel stated her office would handle all costs associated with the investigation and it would not inhibit the criminal proceedings that are currently underway.
Monday's meeting with the community is the second of multiple forums that Nessel has planned. The listening sessions give students and parents the opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns, Nessel's office said.
A copy of the letter addressed to the Oxford School Board is available for viewing on the Department of Attorney General website.
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