A Handgun for Christmas

A few days before Ethan Crumbley allegedly killed four classmates, his father purchased a gun and then his mother took him to the shooting range. A jury will soon decide whether they, as parents, are guilty of manslaughter.

- By Lisa Miller

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving in 2021, Jennifer Crumbley pushed through the glass door at the Accurate Range. Jennifer, who goes by Jehn, appeared self-assured-a tall 43-year-old mother in jeans and a nubbly sweater coat. In her left hand, she carried a black case that held the SIG Sauer 9-mm. semi-automatic pistol her husband, James, had purchased at a gun shop near their home in Oxford, Michigan, the previous day.

The Crumbleys' 15-year-old son, Ethan, had come along. He stood awkwardly by, glancing distractedly at the semiautomatic rifles for rent on the wall. After consulting with him, Jehn paid cash for half an hour of range time, 100 rounds of 9-mm. ammunition, and two paper targets.

It's not unusual to see kids at the Accurate Range, which markets itself as a family place. Situated in a shed-like building next to a software firm and across the street from a Taco Bell, the range resembles a suburban bowling alley down to its crowded parking lot and the flashing green-and-red OPEN sign in the front window. Accurate has a party space, and it promotes seniors mornings with free coffee and doughnuts and Mother's Day with free gun rentals and snacks. It co-sponsors church dinners, and when it exhibits its wares at gun shows, it advertises kid-friendly outdoor activities, raffles/door prizes, and beautiful wildlife displays. Under federal law, it is illegal for a minor to own a handgun, but the same law includes an exemption for target practice. The Crumbleys had sometimes gone to the range during the pandemic. A signed waiver for Ethan was already on file.