Oxford High School parents react to Ethan Crumbley guilty plea
(CBS DETROIT) - "If it helps them come to closure faster, that's good by me," says Angie Green, a parent of an Oxford high school student and owner of Evergreens Coffee and Bakeshop.
The families of the victims are at the forefront of Green's mind as Ethan Crumbley pleads guilty to 24 felony counts, including first-degree murder and terrorism charges.
"I never thought in a million years that this would happen to our small niched town. It can happen anywhere," says Green.
She says the community will heal, and this plea is one step closer. However, she says this community will also never forget.
"It's a parent's worst nightmare. Those thoughts have been nonstop since I started getting those texts at 12:51 p.m. on Nov. 30," says George Stoffan when talking about the text messages shared between him and his daughter the afternoon of the shooting.
Every day Stoffan thinks it could have been her.
"She missed him by about a minute, and there are days that I can't get over that or get through that," Stoffan says.
Geroge Stoffan's daughter was a junior. His son, a freshmen, when the shooting occurred. Sadness, anger and many more emotions were felt as Stoffan sat down to watch Crumbley plead guilty Monday morning. He says watching him stand in the Pontiac courtroom brought back those chilling memories.
"I can't believe that this happened almost a year later I can't believe it," said Stoffan.
Stoffan says seeing news involving the shooting is still surreal. Albeit strong and united, he says this is something the community of Oxford will continue to live with. Like Green, Stoffan's thoughts are with the families directly impacted from that day.
"My kids survived. They survived that day so I'm thankful for that. And yet, I think about the incredible pain that for those families that don't have somebody coming home, to those that were injured. It's just chilling to watch," he said.
"I just hope that speeding the process up with this guilty plea, that it will help mend broken hearts," Green added.
