No Future Without Today release statement in wake of hearing

By Jim Newell
Managing Editor
PONTIAC, Mich. – An Oakland County Circuit Court judge ruled on Friday that the Oxford High School shooter can serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Ethan Crumbley, now 17, will appear in court on Dec. 8 for formal sentencing.
The teen gunman, who killed four students at Oxford High School, is eligible for life imprisonment without parole, the harshest possible punishment in Michigan, Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Kwamé Rowe ruled during the hearing.
The shooter was 15 years old when he opened fire at the school on Nov. 30, 2021. He has pleaded guilty to one count of terrorism causing death, four counts of first-degree murder and 19 other charges.
As a juvenile, the shooter was entitled to a hearing under a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Miller v. Alabama, nicknamed “Miller Hearings”, to determine whether he would be eligible for parole after serving at least 25 years.
The judge considered the teen’s tendency toward violent behavior both before the mass shooting and during his time in custody since his arrest in making the decision, but he could still be given a life sentence with the possibility of parole.
Shooting victims who survived the attack and family members of those killed are expected to give victim impact statements at the sentencing hearing before the judge hands down the sentence.
Four of the Oxford High School shooting victims: Hana St. Juliana, 14, Justin Shilling, 17, Tate Myre, 16, and Madisyn Baldwin, 17, were killed in the shooting. Seven people, including a teacher, were also shot and survived.
No Future Without Today, a student-led gun violence prevention initiative founded by survivors of the Oxford shooting, primarily focuses its efforts around legislative action for gun violence prevention.
“Irrespective of the Miller decision this morning, we believe it is necessary to acknowledge the remarkable courage of those who bravely testified despite their unimaginable trauma,” the group said in statement to the Leader shortly after the decision.
“NFWT was founded to ensure that no other community should have to go through what we did, but today we must focus on the wellbeing of ourselves and our fellow Oxford community members,” said Madeline Johnson, a board member of NFWT.
No Future Without Today urges the public “to shift their attention away from the shooter responsible for ending the lives of our classmates by not using his name or images. Instead, we highly encourage those to focus on the lives of Hana, Justin, Tate, and Madisyn – individuals who represent the spirit and vitality that we must strive to preserve,” the statement read.
“Since 2021, survivors, families, and others impacted have navigated their trauma in individual and valid ways – many having turned their pain into meaningful outlets of change,” said Dylan Morris, a board member of No Future Without Today. “Today and every day, we stand alongside our Oxford community, cherishing the memory of Hana, Tate, Justin, and Madisyn, who exemplify the vitality we must safeguard.”