Manhunt underway for parents of Oxford High School shooting suspect after charges issued

Update: The parents are returning to the area for the arraignment, according to attorneys Shannon Smith and Mariell Lehman. "The Crumbleys left town on the night of the tragic shooting for their own safety. They are returning to the area to be arraigned. They are not fleeing from law enforcement despite recent comments in media reports," the attorneys said in a statement.

The attorneys said Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald had been contacted Thursday night and informed then that the Crumbleys would be coming back to the metro area. "Instead of communicating with us, the prosecutor held a press conference to announce charges," the statement said.

A statewide Be On The Lookout (BOLO) alert was issued in Michigan for James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of suspected Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley, following the announcement of charges against the couple.

Fox 2 has confirmed that a statewide BOLO was issued just hours after the Crumbley parents were charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter over the shooting deaths of four Michigan students this week.

The Crumbleys had not been under surveillance. Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said on Thursday night that they were in the early stages of an investigation, and there was no certainty that charges would be brought against the parents. According to Fox 2, "Bouchard said when it looked like charges would be issued, investigators began the surveillance process."

The Crumbleys were supposed to turn themselves in alongside their attorneys on Friday when the charges were announced, but they reportedly stopped communicating and cooperating with their attorneys and are on the run.

The FBI and US Marshals are reportedly assisting with the search.

"The parents were the only individuals in the position to know the access to weapons," Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald said on Thursday. The gun "seems to have been just freely available to that individual."

"All I can say at this point is those actions on Mom and Dad's behalf go far beyond negligence," she told WJR-AM. "We obviously are prosecuting the shooter to the fullest extent ... There are other individuals who should be held accountable."

Evidence including text messages, a meeting shortly before the shooting, and the purchase of a firearm all factored into the charges brought against the parents.

McDonald said that the teenager was discovered earlier by school personnel searching for ammunition on his cell phone.

In text messages between the 15-year-old boy and his mother, Jennifer reportedly wrote: "lol I'm not mad at you, you have to learn not to get caught."

The morning of the shooting, a teacher was alarmed to find a note on Ethan's desk which depicted a semi-automatic handgun pointing at the words "the thoughts won't stop. Help me." In another portion of the note, a bullet was depicted with the phrase, "blood everywhere" written nearby. It depicts people being shot, a laughing emoji, and the words "my life is useless," and "the world is dead."

His parents were summoned to the school, with a school counselor removing Ethan from class. They confiscated the note, but it had reportedly been altered, with some portions being scratched out.

Counselors informed the parents that they were required to get their son into counseling within 48 hours. McDonald stated that his parents failed to check his bag or ask where his gun was, or remove his son from school immediately.

When news of the shooting was made public, Jennifer reportedly texted her son 1:22 pm, stating: "Ethan, don't do it."

At 1:37 pm, James called 911 to report that a gun was missing from his safe, and believed that his son may be the shooter. The gun found at the scene was the same as James Crumbley's. His gun was reportedly stored unsecured in a drawer.