The families of two students who were killed in the Oxford High School mass shooting in 2021 accepted a $500,000 settlement offer from the school district.
Lawyers said that before the federal lawsuits were dismissed, the two families had already accepted settlement offers from the district. The latter is now making good on the deals and is preparing to give the money.
Families of Oxford School Shooting Accept $500K Settlement
On Thursday, Oxford schools attorney Tim Mullins said the development is a result of good-will gesture and a reasonable resolution of a disputed claim. This was on the same day that the family of 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin filed a motion in federal court to get the settlement approved and the money distributed.
Baldwin was among the four student victims who tragically lost their lives in the Nov. 30, 2021, massacre at Oxford High School. The other victims were 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 16-year-old Tate Myre, and 17-year-old Justin Shilling. Six other students, as well as a teacher, were injured, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Ven Johnson, the attorney for the plaintiffs, said that the development felt like a "slap in the face," citing the settlement offer. He added that the Shilling family was "conflicted" because the settlement was nothing compared to the loss they experienced. However, they took it because they were faced with getting zero and still wanted what was in the best interest of their family.
This was a reference to the blow that the families of the victims were ultimately dealt in federal court. It was because the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals concluded in May that the Oxford schools district was protected by governmental immunity and could not be sued over the shooting deaths.
A Tragic Incident
The shooter in the incident was Ethan Crumbley, who is now serving a life sentence after a guilty plea in 2023 to several charges. Last year, the shooter's parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, were also convicted of four counts of involuntary manslaughter, CBS News reported.
Prosecutors had argued that the parents should also be held responsible for the killings because they ignored signs that pointed to their son's mental health needs. They also bought the firearm that their son used in the shooting.
The attorney for the Madisyn family, Wolfgang Mueller, said that everyone was disappointed in the amount that was offered in the settlement. He added that what makes things worse is that the school district never accepted any responsibility for the incident, as per The Oakland Press.
