Photo courtesy of CNN
Oxford High School senior JaVon Pittman, 17, described the frightening moments when classmate Ethan Crumbley, 15, opened fire on the school, injuring seven students and killing four, Tuesday morning.
During an emotional interview with CNN’s Adrienne Broaddus, Pittman said he called his father to inform him about an active shooter at the school and how he took cover with classmates using a safety procedure he thought he would never use.
“We put the table at the door, barricaded the doors, and we just turned the lights off, and we hid under the desk,” Pittman told Broaddus.
“I was whispering because I didn’t want the shooter to hear me and my classmates. And my dad was just asking me what’s going on — what’s happening? And I told him there’s a shooting — somebody’s here shooting up the school.”
The high school senior’s younger brother, Jonte, was also at the school at the time of the shooting and escaped.
“It was devastating to hear that phone call,” JaMar Pittman, JaVon’s father, told CNN. “You try to be there for your kids. You can’t be there for your kids, and you get nervous. And for you to be their leader, their father, the superhero, whatever. You can’t save your kids. That’s devastating.”
According to WKTV, Tate Myre, 16, was one of four students who died from injuries after the shooting. He played football for the school’s varsity team since he was a freshman and an honor student with “a bright future” and was loved by everyone. Pittman described his friend as a “wonderful kid” and one of the best people he had ever met.
While reliving the moments from the Nov. 30 shooting, Pittman broke down into tears after learning another classmate and friend, Justin Shilling, 17, had passed away on Wednesday morning. As he found comfort in his mother’s arms, the high school senior said, “Me and him used to laugh about everything. We were cool.”
Crumbley was charged as an adult with terrorism causing death and four counts of first-degree murder. According to Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald, he is also facing seven counts of assault with intent to murder and 12 counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, the Detroit Free Press reported.
The suspect’s parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, each face four counts of involuntary manslaughter. They were scheduled to be arraigned by video in 52-3 District Court in Rochester Hills on Friday, but they did not appear. Instead, police searched, found, and arrested the couple overnight in Detriot. They both pleaded not guilty to four involuntary manslaughter charges Saturday morning, each receiving a $500,000 bond.