DOES THE NEW OMICRON VARIANT
REQUIRE NEW STRATEGIES AND
ANSWERS?
TODAY IS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5TH,
2021 AND THIS IS FLASH POINT.
>> Devin: HI, WELCOME TO FLASH
POINT.
WE COME TO YOU ON A SUNDAY
MORNING FOLLOWING AN ABSOLUTELY
HORRENDOUS AND HEARTBREAKING
WEEK.
OXFORD, MICHIGAN, JOINED THE
ROSTER OF PLACES LIKE COLUMBINE,
SANDY HOOK, AND PARKLAND, A LIST
TO WHICH NO ONE ASPIRES.
THIS YEAR THERE HAVE BEEN MORE
THAN TWO DOZEN SCHOOL SHOOTINGS
IN THE U.S.
THEY ARE STILL QUITE RARE,
THANKFULLY.
I MEAN, THERE ARE NEARLY 27,000
HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY, BUT
THIS UNIQUELY AMERICAN HORROR
HAS BECOME COMMONPLACE ENOUGH
WHEN IT CAME TO OXFORD THIS
WEEK, NBC DIDN’T LEAD THEIR NIGHTLY NEWSCAST WITH IT.
NIGHTLY NEWSCAST WITH IT.
AND THE CON PENDIUM OF THE
DRUDGE REPORT, HOW MUCH PEOPLE
HAVE LOST IN FOOTBALL.
AND THEY’RE NOT WHAT YOU’RE USED
TO UNLESS YOU’RE IN THE MIDDLE
OF THEM, IF YOU’RE LUCKY ENOUGH
TO SURVIVE IT.
I WISH I WAS MORE ABLE TO STOP
THEM, BUT IF WE CAN’T CREATE THE
RESOLVE AFTER SANDY HOOK,
CERTAINLY THE PROSECUTOR KAREN
McDONALD IS EAGER TO GIVE IT A
TRY AND SHE HAD THE NEED TO TALK
ABOUT RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP
AND SHE WAS POISED TO CHARGE THE
SUSPECT’S PARENTS, WHICH SHE
DID.
WE’LL TALK WITH HER IN JUST A
MOMENT.
AND A WEEK AFTER THE
THANKSGIVING, COVID REMAINS HIGH
AND HOSPITALS STRETCHED.
WHAT DOES THE NEW OMICRON
VARIANT MEAN TO THAT?
WE’LL TALK ABOUT THAT WITH
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
ELIZABETH HURTLE ALL ON FLASH
POINT TODAY.
♪
AS YOU NOW KNOW THERE WAS A FAIR
AMOUNT OF CHAOS FILING THE
FILING OF CHARGES AGAINST JAMES
AND JENNIFER CRUMBLEY ON FRIDAY.
THEY WERE EVENTUALLY TAKEN INTO
CUSTODY EARLY SATURDAY MORNING
IN DETROIT.
INTERESTINGLY, YESTERDAY,
SHERIFF MIKE BOUCHARD SAYS HE
DOUBTS ETHAN CRUMBLEY KNOWS THAT
HIS PARENTS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED
AND IN THE SAME JAIL WITH HIM
BECAUSE HE’S BEING HELD IN
ISOLATION.
JUST AFTER THE CHARGES WERE
ANNOUNCED FRIDAY, I HAD A CHANCE
TO TALK WITH OAKLAND COUNTY
PROSECUTOR KAREN McDONALD ABOUT
HER DECISION TO CHARGE THE
PARENTS, WHICH TO ME APPEARED TO
BE HER INCLINATION FROM HER VERY
FIRST REMARKS ABOUT THE
SHOOTING.
>> IT WAS SO HORRIFIC AND I
UNDERSTAND THAT WE TRAIN
CHILDREN TO -- WHAT TO DO WHEN
AN ACTIVE SHOOTER IS IN THE
BUILDING AND WE HAVE PROTOCOLS
FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THEY’VE
ALL BEEN FOLLOWED, BUT YET, WE
HAVE FOUR CHILDREN MURDERED AND
SEVEN OTHERS INJURED.
NOT TO MENTION ALL OF THE KIDS
WHO WERE PRESENT AND TOTALLY
TERRORIZED, AND SO, I GUESS MY
THOUGHT WAS, WELL, HOW, HOW DID
THIS INDIVIDUAL, THIS SHOOTER,
GET ACCESS TO THAT WEAPON?
AND THAT FIRST QUESTION LED TO A
SERIES OF FACTS THAT JUST LEFT
IT COMPLETELY OUT OF THE
QUESTION THAT I NOT CHARGE THE
MOM AND THE DAD.
IT WAS CLEAR FROM SOCIAL MEDIA
POSTS THAT THE WEAPON WAS BOUGHT
FOR HIM.
HE HAD EASY ACCESS TO IT.
THERE WAS NO -- IT WAS NOT
SAFELY SECURED.
HE ESSENTIALLY CONSIDERED IT HIS
GUN AND THERE WERE SOME WARNING
SIGNS HERE THAT WERE IGNORED.
HE WAS SEARCHING FOR AMMUNITION
ON HIS PHONE THE DAY BEFORE THE
SHOOTING.
SCHOOL CALLED HOME, NO RESPONSE
AT ALL, EXCEPT A TEXT MESSAGE
FROM MOM TO HER SON SAYING,
ASKING ABOUT IT AND THEN SAYING,
WELL, LOL, NEXT TIME DON’T GET
CAUGHT.
THERE WAS THE MEETING ON THE DAY
OF THE SHOOTING EARLY WITH THE
DRAWINGS HE HAD MADE THAT WERE
REALLY, REALLY TROUBLING AND
ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO
INTERPRET AS A THREAT OF
VIOLENCE.
MOM AND DAD SAT DOWN IN THAT
MEETING, SCHOOL OFFICIALS, AND
HE, THE SHOOTER WAS THERE WITH
HIS BACKPACK AND WE NOW BELIEVE
THAT THE GUN WAS IN HIS
BACKPACK.
>> Devin: I WANTED TO ASK YOU
ABOUT THAT--
WAS--
I DON’T KNOW WHAT A STUDENT’S
RIGHTS ARE IN SCHOOL.
WAS IT WITHIN THE SCHOOL’S
RIGHTS TO SEARCH THE BACKPACK?
I SUPPOSE HIS PARENTS CERTAINLY
COULD HAVE, BUT DOES THE SCHOOL
HAVE THE RIGHT TO SEARCH THAT
BACKPACK?
>> ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY.
BUT YOU KNOW, I’M NOT IN A
POSITION BECAUSE I REALLY
HAVEN’T--
WE HAVEN’T INVESTIGATED OR
LOOKED AT THAT PART OF THE CASE
WITH REGARD TO THE SCHOOL
OFFICIALS, BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS
THAT AT THAT POINT MOM AND DAD
KNEW THAT HE HAD A WEAPON, THEY
KNEW THAT HE HAD ACCESS TO THE
WEAPON AT ANY TIME AND THEN AT
THAT POINT THEY KNEW THAT HE WAS
MAKING THREATS OF VIOLENCE.
AND YET, DID NOTHING EXCEPT
PROMISED TO GET COUNSELING
WITHIN 48 HOURS SO HE WAS SENT
BACK TO CLASS.
>> Devin: I’M NOT AN ATTORNEY,
BUT AN INTERESTING DICHOTOMY,
YOU’VE DECIDED TO CHARGE THE
DEFENDANT--
THE SUSPECT IN THE SHOOTING AS
AN ADULT AND YET, ARE WE NOT
TREATING HIS PARENTS AS IF--
CHARGING THE PARENTS, IS THAT
NOT THEN AGAIN TREATING HIM AS A
JUVENILE, KIND OF SORT OF HAVING
IS BOTH WAYS?
AND MAYBE BOTH THINGS ARE
POSSIBLE AT THE SAME TIME, BUT
IS THERE NOT A SPLIT IN THE WAY
THAT THE TWO SETS OF DEFENDANTS
ARE BEING TREATED?
>> NO.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, WHATEVER--
HOWEVER THEIR SON IS TREATED IN
THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM DOES
NOT RELIEVE ANY BURDEN FROM
THEIR JOB AS PARENTS AND
ALLOWING EASY ACCESS TO A GUN
FROM SOMEONE THEY KNEW WAS
DANGEROUS.
THAT DOESN’T WITH THEIR BURDEN
OR DUTY AT ALL.
WITH REGARD TO CHARGING HIM THE
WAY HE WAS CHARGED, I DIDN’T
TAKE THAT DECISION LIGHTLY.
I CAMPAIGN ON TREAT KIDS LIKE
KIDS AND I BELIEVE THAT.
HOWEVER, IN MICHIGAN WE DON’T
HAVE GOOD OPTIONS FOR VIOLENT
JUVENILES, MEANING IF HE WERE
CHARGED AS A JUVENILE, THERE’S A
CHANCE HE COULD BE RELEASED AT
AGE 21.
AND I DID NOT WANT--
I DIDN’T WANT TO RISK THAT AND
AFTER I SAW THE EVIDENCE, IT WAS
WASN’T--
IT WASN’T EVEN, THERE WAS NO WAY
I WAS GOING TO DO THAT.
>> HE NEEDED TO BE FACING THOSE
SERIOUS CHARGES AND WE DON’T
REALLY KNOW A LOT ABOUT HIS PAST
AND WE’LL FIND THAT OUT AND
WE’LL DETERMINE THE BEST
SOLUTION AND CONSEQUENCE, BUT
THAT’S FOR MUCH FURTHER DOWN THE
ROAD, BUT I HAD TO DO -- I HAD
TO PICK THE PATH THAT GAVE US
THE MOST CERTAINTY THAT WE WOULD
HAVE CONTROL OVER NO RELEASE AT
THE AGE OF 21.
>> Devin: THIS IS BEING LARGELY
DESCRIBED BY MANY OTHER WATCHERS
AROUND THE COUNTRY AS BEING SORT
OF A LANDMARK APPROACH THAT
YOU’RE TAKING TO INVOLVE THE
PARENTS.
AND WE’VE SEEN, IN FACT, WE’VE
HAD MORE THAN TWO DOZEN SCHOOL
SHOOTINGS IN AMERICA THIS YEAR.
DID IT STRIKE YOU AS A DIFFERENT
APPROACH, ONE THAT WE HAVEN’T
TRIED BEFORE?
AND DOES THAT MAKE IT THAT MUCH
MORE DIFFICULT TO PROVE?
>> SO, I DIDN’T CONSIDER WHETHER
IT HAD BEEN DONE BEFORE AND I DO
WANT TO SAY THAT I DO HAVE
TREMENDOUS COMPASSION AND
EMPATHY FOR PARENTS WHO HAVE
CHILDREN WHO ARE STRUGGLING AND
WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM MENTAL
HEALTH ISSUES.
I CERTAINLY AM NOT SAYING THAT
PARENTS SHOULD BE CRIMINALLY
PROSECUTED FOR A VIOLENT FACT OF
THEIR CHILD ACROSS THE BOARD.
HOWEVER, IN THIS INSTANCE, THEY
WENT--
THEIR ACTIONS WENT FAR BEYOND
NEGLIGENCE.
YOU KNOW, THE SHOOTING TOOK
PLACE JUST MINUTES AFTER THE
SHOOTING AND THERE WOULD BE NO
WAY OF THE PUBLIC KNOWING
EXACTLY WHAT WAS OCCURRING RIGHT
AT THAT TIME, BUT MOM SENT A
TEXT TO HER SON SAYING DON’T DO
IT.
DAD UPON HEARING THERE WAS AN
ACTIVE SHOOTER DIDN’T CALL OR
CHECK ON HIS SON.
HE DROVE TO HIS HOME TO SEE IF
THE GUN WAS STILL THERE AND
CALLED 911 SAID, MY GUN IS
MISSING--
THE GUN IS MISSING AND I THINK
MY SON MIGHT BE THE SHOOTER.
SO THEY HAD EVERY REASON AND THE
EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THEY DID,
TO BE CONCERNED OR CONSIDER THE
POSSIBILITY THAT HE WAS GOING TO
COMMIT DEADLY FORCE AND THEY
ALLOWED IT AND THEY DIDN’T SAY
ANYTHING, AND THEY DIDN’T STOP
IT, AND THEY DIDN’T SAY LET’S
LOOK AT YOUR BACKPACK.
THEY DIDN’T SAY WE NEED TO LET
YOU KNOW THAT HE HAS ACCESS TO A
GUN.
THEY DIDN’T SAY LET’S TAKE HIM
HOME, THIS IS DISTURBING.
THEY JUST LEFT HIM THERE.
ON BEHALF OF THOSE CHILDREN’S
PARENTS I AM--
I WILL ABSOLUTELY HOLD THEM
ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT AND I THINK
THAT THEY SHOULD AND I’VE HEARD
IT’S THE FIRST TIME IT’S
HAPPENED, I DIDN’T CONSIDER
THAT, AND I ACTUALLY DON’T CARE.
I JUST THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT
THING TO DO.
>> Devin: I CAN’T IMAGINE THERE
WASN’T A PARENT ANYWHERE WHO
WASN’T BOILING MAD AT LISTENING
TO YOU DESCRIBE THE COURSE OF
EVENTS ON FRIDAY MORNING.
WHILE YOU CLEARLY BELIEVE YOU’VE
GOT THE LAW ON YOUR SIDE, YOU
ALSO BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SOME
HOLES IN MICHIGAN LAW WHEN IT
COMES TO FIREARMS AND THE WAY
THAT THEY NEED TO BE SECURED IN
A HOME?
>> WELL, THERE IS.
WE DO NOT HAVE A SAFE STORAGE
LAW IN MICHIGAN, SO GUN OWNERS
ARE NOT REQUIRED BY LAW TO
SECURE THEIR WEAPON AND STORE
THE AMMUNITION SEPARATELY.
THEY’RE NOT REQUIRED BY LAW,
HOWEVER, MOST GUN OWNERS THAT I
KNOW ARE RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERS
AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT THEY DO
AND I’VE HEARD FROM PARENTS ALL
OVER THE COUNTRY AND THEY’RE GUN
OWNERS AND THEY’VE SAID OVER AND
OVER AND OVER, I WOULD NEVER
EVER CONSIDER HAVING A WEAPON IN
MY HOME THAT IS NOT SECURED
PROPERLY AND NOT FAR AWAY FROM
MY -- ANY KID IN THE HOUSE WOULD
HAVE ACCESS.
>> THE LAST THING I NEED TO ASK
YOU ABOUT IS THE TERRORISM
CHARGE, THAT’S ALSO, I THINK,
STRUCK MANY PEOPLE AS UNUSUAL
AND A DIFFERENT TACTIC TO TAKE.
EXPLAIN YOUR REASONING ON THAT
CASE.
>> BECAUSE WE CHARGE FIRST
DEGREE MURDER FOR THE DEATHS AND
KILLING OF THESE FOUR KIDS AND
WE CHARGED ASSAULT WITH INTENT
TO MURDER FOR THE OTHER CHILDREN
THAT WERE STRUCK BY GUNFIRE, BUT
WHEN YOU LOOK -- WHEN I LOOKED
AT THAT, WE -- IT WAS CLEAR TO
ME THERE WAS NO CRIMINAL CHARGE
THAT REFLECTED THIS ENTIRE SET
OF VICTIMS WHICH ARE THE
CHILDREN AND THE STUDENTS IN
THAT SCHOOL WHO FLED FOR THEIR
LIVES, WHO HID UNDER DESKS, WHO
SENT THEIR MOTHERS AND FATHERS
TEXT MESSAGES SAYING I LOVE YOU
AND I THINK I’M GOING TO GET
SHOT.
THEY CAN’T EAT, THEY CAN’T
SLEEP.
THEY WATCHED THEIR FRIENDS BE
KILLED IN A BRUTAL AWFUL MANNER
AND THEY WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.
AND IF THAT ISN’T TERROR, I
DON’T KNOW WHAT IS.
>> Devin: YOU’VE KEPT YOUR FOCUS
ON THE VICTIMS THROUGH THIS
WHOLE THING AND THEY DESERVE
MENTION AGAIN AT THOSE MOMENTS.
HANA ST. JULIANA, JUSTIN
SHILLING, AT&T MIRE AND MADISYN
BALDWIN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, KAREN, FOR
YOUR TIME TODAY.