Artist Says He Didn't Know Shooting Suspect Parents Stayed Overnight

The parents of the Oxford High School shooter were discovered early Saturday morning inside a Detroit artist's studio, ending a manhunt that had consumed authorities since Friday afternoon. James and Jennifer Crumbley, charged with involuntary manslaughter for their alleged role in their son's attack, had sought refuge in the commercial building downtown without the knowledge or consent of its occupant, Andrzej Sikora, a 65-year-old Polish-born muralist whose work decorates homes and businesses throughout the Detroit area.

Sikora's attorney, Clarence Dass, said his client was unaware the couple had remained in the studio after he left Friday evening. The artist and the Crumbleys shared what Dass described as a friendly relationship, but Sikora knew nothing of the charges against them or the circumstances that had sent them into hiding. When Sikora learned Saturday morning that authorities had taken the couple into custody, he immediately contacted police to cooperate with the investigation. "There was a lot of confusion and the Crumbleys went to him for safety," Dass explained. "He didn't know about the charges. They were there in the daytime. He left in the early evening. He didn't even know they were still there."

The discovery marked a dramatic turn in a case that has drawn national attention. On Tuesday, Ethan Crumbley, the couple's 15-year-old son, opened fire at Oxford High School, roughly thirty miles north of Detroit, killing four students and wounding six more students and a teacher. He has been charged as an adult with murder, terrorism, and other crimes. The decision to charge his parents was unusual and severe: prosecutors alleged that James and Jennifer Crumbley failed to intervene despite being confronted with a drawing and a chilling message—"blood everywhere"—found at their son's desk. Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald characterized their conduct as egregious, pointing to their purchase of a gun on Black Friday and making it accessible to their son, as well as their resistance to his removal from school when they were summoned hours before the shooting. Each parent faces up to fifteen years in prison.

The Crumbleys' legal team has maintained they never intended to flee and had arranged to meet with their attorneys Saturday morning. Police, however, have stated that the couple "were aided in getting into the building," suggesting someone facilitated their entry. That person may also face charges, according to Detroit police, though no additional details were available Sunday. Sikora himself has not been charged, but he remains part of an active investigation. Oakland County Undersheriff Michael McCabe confirmed that Sikora's attorney had made contact and authorities were arranging an interview.

The case has raised questions about what school officials knew and when they knew it. District administrators announced that a third party would investigate the events preceding the shooting, and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel indicated her office could conduct the probe. The investigation into how the Crumbleys reached Sikora's studio and what assistance they received continues, with police indicating that additional charges may follow.