(WWJ) - The deadly mass shooting at Oxford High School could've been avoided, a long-awaited report released Monday evening concludes.
WWJ's Charlie Langton said the independent investigation, whose findings spans 572 pages, did place sole blame for the incident on "the shooter", but it also summarized that had proper guidelines and training procedures been in place, the tragedy might not have unfolded.
According to Langton, the investigation found that a threat assessment against the shooter, Ethan Crumbley, was "botched."
"The shooter not even identified as a threat and the principal not even made aware of the shooter's conduct that could pose a serious threat," Langton explained.
The report went on to list a number of systematic failures leading up to the Nov. 30, 2021 shooting that killed four students and injured seven others.
The findings raise concerns about the officials at the Oxford High School itself, Langton added.
The investigation found fault with the school superintendent and senior administrators and criticized the actions -- or inactions -- of the dean of students and even the shooter’s counselor.
"The overall conclusion of an independent firm, Guidepost Solutions, was that the Oxford High School shooting nearly two years ago, was avoidable," Langton stated.
The third-party investigation based their findings on information provided from the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office as well as people and witnesses who were at Oxford High School.
Guidepost is scheduled to hold three public meetings to address questions regarding their final report on Nov. 2, 2023, at the Oxford Township Board Room, 300 Dunlap Rd. Oxford, MI 48371, at 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
A listening session for the Oxford community at large will be held on Thurs., Nov. 9, at 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. in the Oxford Middle School Media Center.
To read the full report, click here.