Crumbleys shift blame at sentencing • Apartment proposal upsets residents • Trial starts for tattoo artist

WEDNESDAY NEWS HIT - James and Jennifer Crumbley both received 10-15 year prison sentences Tuesday in connection with the Oxford High School shooting committed by their son.

The parents learned their fates after an emotional morning of victim impact statements from families who lost loved ones.

In deciding their sentences, Judge Cheryl Matthews says she went outside the guidelines to determine how long both should be in prison. She said that no amount of evidence or witness testimony submitted to the case could capture the full severity. 

This is the first time parents of a mass shooter have been charged and convicted for the actions of their child.

Crumbleys shift blame during sentencing

Though James and Jennifer Crumbley both apologized during their sentencing Tuesday, neither apologized for their actions that led to involuntary manslaughter convictions for both of them. 

Instead, they apologized for their son's actions without taking accountability for their own, the victims' families said.

Both James and Jennifer said they didn't know what their son was up to and alleged the school did not share concerns about him with them before he killed four classmates on Nov. 30, 2021. 

"I know we did our best," Jennifer said. "The love I have for our son mixed with regret for not seeing what was ahead weighs heavily on me."

James also directed his remarks to something Tate Myre's father, Buck, said during his victim impact statement, when he called for an investigation into the school and a search for accountability.

"It is time that we all know the truth. We have been prohibited from telling the whole truth. The whole truth has not been told," James said. "You have not had the truth."

But the victim's families had no interest in aligning themselves with James. After the hearing, Madisyn Baldwin's mom called it disgraceful that he would make an effort to search for the truth. 

Royal Oak residents upset with apartment proposal

Some Royal Oak residents are pushing back against the city's planning commission after it approved plans for a new apartment at Rochester Road and Genesee Drive, near 14 Mile.

The 3 ½ story building will have 42 homes and 79 parking spots. Planning documents say it will include affordable housing units.

"We’re totally against it," said resident Rich Hetrick. "It’s just too big, it’s too tall – 42 units we feel is too big for this property."

Traffic was another concern.

"It’s going to increase a lot of traffic on our street," said Ray Allen, another Royal Oak resident. "Loitering comes with apartment complexes, and we’re just all really worried about it."

Though there were objections, some support the new development.

"This type of project, in my opinion, exemplifies the type of Royal Oak that we want for the future of our city," one resident said.

Sexual misconduct trial begins for prominent tattoo artist

Jury selection is set to begin Wednesday for Alexander Boyko, a well-known Metro Detroit tattoo artist accused of inappropriately touching clients.

Three counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct were brought against Boyko in late 2019 after an allegation that he fondled a woman while tattooing her in 2015. In court in 2019, the woman described how Boyko traced her torso onto paper before allegedly touching her breasts with both hands. More details about the actions that led to the charges are expected to come out during the trial.

Though the allegations from that client led to the charges, she isn't the only person to accuse Boyko of wrongdoing.

An article posted on Jezebel before Boyko was charged included stories from numerous women claiming that the tattoo artist touched them inappropriately.

Detroit Hollywood-inspired sign installed 

A new sign that will welcome NFL Draft visitors to Detroit is now up along I-94.

The 10-foot tall sign inspired by the Hollywood sign was installed next to the freeway near Proctor on Tuesday. The rest of the installation will be completed next week.

"I am over, over the moon excited, and so are the residents," said Eva Torres, the city's District 6 manager. "I'm extremely emotional about it. This really does mean a lot to me personally, because this is the neighborhood I grew up in. To see anything that brings a light into not just Detroit, but to my neighborhood, it’s nice."

The sign was built and installed by Fairmount Sign Co., the same company behind the Fox Theatre marquee.

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Daily Forecast

Today will be mild and dry, but rain is on the way.

What else we're watching

1. A beach-cleaning robot is coming to Belle Isle to pick up trash. Learn more about BeBot.
2. The MI Bookhop is returning this year with even more bookshops. Support local bookstores and have the chance to win prizes. 
3. Meijer Neighborhood Markets are stepping up and doing their part to help local entrepreneurs succeed by promoting small Michigan businesses at their stores. 
4. Prescription pain medication in short supply at pharmacies across the country. Hydrocodone or Norco prescriptions are going unfilled for some patients in chronic pain.
5. The solar eclipse on Monday was quite the spectacle for those lucky enough to see it, but it seems some had to pay a price to take in that sight. Multiple crashes were reported in Monroe County as people flocked south to see it.

Air Force secretary to fly aboard AI-operated fighter jet in test of future drone warfare

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall is set to embark aboard an artificial intelligence-operated warplane, marking a strategic move by the service to highlight the future of air warfare. This demonstration highlights the initiative to introduce a fleet of over 1,000 autonomously operated combat aircraft.

Kendall shared during a Tuesday hearing with senators regarding the service's 2025 budget that he plans to personally experience the capabilities of one of the F-16s converted for drone flight. The Associated Press reported that Kendall aims to assess firsthand how the AI-controlled plane performs in flight.

"There will be a pilot with me who will just be watching, as I will be, as the autonomous technology works," Kendall told the Senate Appropriations Committee defense panel members. "Hopefully neither he or I will be needed to fly the airplane."

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