What we’re reading: California rainfall triggers mudslides, shooter’s mother found guilty and more

By Savanna Dastrup, Staff Writer

Published Feb 7, 2024

Jennifer Crumbley is taken into custody after a guilty verdict was read on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024 in Pontiac, Mich. The jury convicted Crumbley of involuntary manslaughter in a first-of-its-kind trial to determine whether she had any responsibility in the deaths of four students in 2021. Prosecutors say Jennifer Crumbley was grossly negligent when she failed to tell Oxford High School that the family had guns, including a 9 mm handgun that her son, Ethan Crumbley, used at a shooting range on the weekend before the Nov. 30, 2021, attack. (WJBK via AP, Pool)

Michigan school shooter’s mother found guilty of manslaughter

The mother of Ethan Crumbley, who killed four in a 2021 shooting at a Michigan high school, was found guilty on four counts of involuntary manslaughter on Tuesday, according to CNN. Jennifer Crumbley has been behind bars since the days after the shooting on Nov. 30, 2021. She pled ‘not guilty’ to involuntary manslaughter. “The prosecution argued Jennifer Crumbley is responsible for the deaths because she was “grossly negligent” in giving a gun to her son Ethan, who was 15 at the time, and failing to get him proper mental health treatment despite warning signs,” according to CNN. Her son pled ‘guilty’ and was sentenced to life in prison without parole on charges of terrorism causing death, murder and 19 other charges. Jennifer Crumbley faces up to 15 years in prison and her sentencing is set for April 9th.

Fort Worth firefighters injured in a crash on their way to a house fire

In this image provided by the Fort Worth, Texas, Fire Department, emergency personnel work at the scene after a firetruck rolled over and crashed while responding to a fire early Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. One firefighter was critically injured and three others suffered lesser injuries. (Glen E. Ellman/Fort Worth Fire Department via AP) (AP)

Four firefighters were injured in a rollover crash Tuesday morning on their way to extinguish a house fire, according to Fox4 DFW. The highest-ranking crew member and one other passenger are in critical condition. The driver and firefighter seated in the back suffered minor injuries. A witness, Jesse Taylor, said he heard the crash happen, and the sirens never stopped. “I saw the fire truck flipped over. That’s when I walked up there, and man, that truck was in shambles,” Taylor said, describing the scene. “I don’t know how it happened if it was turning right. It was just in shambles.” Taylor also said that several crashes have occurred at this location, and he thinks a stop sign should be added. According to WFAA, Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes said police haven’t investigated what happened yet and plan to interview the firefighters involved once they have recovered from their injuries.

City workers help to remove a eucalyptus tree that fell onto a house and over power lines along Bundy Drive in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. One of the wettest storms in Southern California history unleashed nearly 400 mudslides in the Los Angeles area after dumping more than half of the city’s seasonal rainfall in just two days, and officials warned Tuesday that the threat hadn’t passed yet. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) (AP)

Catastrophic California weather kills five

At least five people are dead in California after a storm brought torrential rain and hurricane-force wind gusts to the Los Angeles area, according to Fox Weather. The area received more than seven inches of rainfall in the past two days, half of what the city typically receives annually. This is the third-highest two-day rainfall total on record. 307 landslides have been reported in the last 48 hours, in addition to more than 250 fallen trees and branches and nearly 160 potholes. The rainfall and landslides caused erosion that created cracks and damage to buildings. Forty five people were evacuated from their apartment building in Santa Barbara County due to the erosion. Residents have been urged to stay off the roads because of the flooding.