Detroit artist identified as person whose studio accused Michigan shooter’s parents fled to after manslaughter charges
The man who reportedly gave the parents of accused Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley a place to stay as they were being hunted by police is a Detroit artist.
Artist Andrzej Sikora said through a lawyer on Sunday that he had given shelter to the parents of accused Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley but did not know they had spent the night, and that he’s cooperating with police.
“Mr. Sikora has not been charged with any crime,” his attorney, Clarence Dass, said in a statement obtained by USA Today. “Nevertheless, upon learning of the Crumbleys’ arrest on December 4, 2021, he voluntarily contacted the Detroit Police Department and Oakland County Sheriff’s Office to provide information. He maintains his innocence throughout this process and is fully cooperating with law enforcement to assist in their investigation.”
Police had been seeking James and Jennifer Crumbley, ages 45 and 43, since Friday to charge them with involuntary manslaughter after their son allegedly shot up his high school, killing four fellow students and wounding seven other, six students and a teacher. Ethan Crumbley, 15, has been charged as an adult with murder, terrorism and other crimes. He reportedly received the gun as a Christmas present that his father had bought on Black Friday.
“There was a lot of confusion, and the Crumbleys went to him for safety,” Dass told the Associated Press. “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 couple said they did not intend to flee but had left their home for safety reasons and planned to return for their arraignment. Authorities, meanwhile, launched a manhunt, putting out a Be On the Lookout (BOLO) alert for the couple and offering a $10,000 reward for each.
Their vehicle was spotted at a commercial building that turned out to house Sikora’s studio, Decora Interior Art Design, the Detroit Free Press reported. They were captured Saturday and are being held on $500,000 bond each.
The Crumbleys are considered culpable not just because they gifted the gun to their offspring but also because they ignored what educators said were obvious signs their son was troubled.
Dass did not provide details on Sikora’s relationship with the Crumbleys, and the 65-year-old artist has not been charged. But Detroit police said the pair “were aided in getting into the building” and that whoever helped them could also face charges, AP said.
With News Wire Services
