Karen McDonald, prosecutor who handled Oxford High School shooting case, seeking reelection in Oakland County
(CBS DETROIT) - Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald announced Tuesday that she is seeking reelection.
"I have a lot more I want to do," she said in a video posted on social media. "I really love this job. I love getting up in the morning. I love walking into that building and knowing that we get to be on the right side. When I go into court, and I say 'Karen McDonald on behalf of the people of the state of Michigan,' it never gets old."
McDonald was elected in November 2020. She succeeds former Prosecutor Jessica Cooper, who lost to McDonald in the 2020 primary election. She won against Republican Lin Goetz in the general election.
During her tenure, she was tasked with handling the deadly Oxford High School shooting on Nov. 30, 2021, that killed four students and injured seven others. The shooter, who was a student at the time, pleaded guilty to multiple charges and was sentenced to life in prison in December 2023.
His parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, were each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter. Each parent was found guilty and was recently sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison.
Their case made history as the first time the parents of a school shooter were convicted.
In her video, McDonald said charging the Crumbley parents was "just common sense."
She has called for change in schools and surrounding communities to fight against gun violence and created a commission in 2022 to address it.
"I was really searching for a group of people that were addressing gun violence in a way that it needs to be addressed, so I decided I was going to start that group myself," she said.