OAKLAND CO., MI (WNEM) – Families are still demanding answers nearly three years after the Oxford school shooting.

They are pushing for an independent, state-led inquiry with full participation through the subpoena power. The families said although the shooter and his parents are being punished behind bars, there has never been a state-led investigation to look into the decisions and actions leading up to and during the shooting.

Related: An Oxford school shooter has been sentenced to life without parole

The Oxford families said they are still waiting for transparency and want it now.

“It’s been three years since the shooting and we haven’t implemented any real change. To implement change, you need to know what happened. An investigation will reveal the truth to drive change. Don’t we want to learn from this?” said Buck Myre, the father of Tate Myre, one of the victims who was killed three years ago at Oxford High School.

Myre is part of a large group calling for a state-led investigation into the incident that killed four students — Tate, Hana St. Juliana, Madisyn Baldwin and Justin Shilling — and injured seven others, including a teacher, in November 2021.

Guide solutions already conducted an investigation to determine what changes need to be made to prevent or mitigate school shootings. But those parents said it lacked subpoena power, leaving crucial questions unanswered.

“Based on the results of the Guidepost investigation, where only a third of people cooperated at school, we think an incredibly key piece of this is forcing that cooperation. You will note that one of the parties we invited to join us today was the Oxford Teacher Union and they declined. So I think that says a lot there,” said Steve St. Juliana, father of Hana St. Juliana.

He said this type of investigation will allow Oxford Community Schools to make changes based on data, not opinions.

“There has to be some level of accountability to successfully drive change,” said St. Juliana.

During a virtual event on Monday, Nov. 18, the governor, attorney general and state legislature were called by these families. They said they are tired of hearing excuses for why there hasn’t been a state-led investigation yet.

“Go into a room, decide who does what, and do it. Stop pointing your fingers back and forth. We shouldn’t be sitting up here saying over and over, “Do a damn investigation,” St. Juliana.

The group aimed to tell state leaders that they are not going anywhere. They will do whatever it takes to drive change.

In response, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard offered the following statement:

As we have said from the beginning, we are more than willing to participate in any state review or investigation. I told the victims of this tragedy that I would support any effort that would answer all the questions they have. If the Attorney General would like access to our investigative reports or our people, I will gladly provide them.

Our hope is that this would be a systemic government review that includes mental health, school and public safety entities to see if there are lessons we can learn to prevent such tragedies, rather than respond to them.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said her office needs cooperation to make a state-led investigation work.

“This parent press conference and the fact that you had members from both the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department, I think leaves more questions than answers,” Nessel said.

She responded to renewed calls for a state-led inquiry. She said repeated attempts to help with the investigation were rebuffed by the school, along with local and county authorities and the county attorney.

Nessel said her office would be willing to investigate under certain conditions.

“Oakland County should turn over the more than 400 pieces of evidence admitted in the prosecution against the Crumbleys, as well as all of their evidence from their years of investigation and prosecution, including any documents, correspondence, testimony, transcripts and many more types of evidence, whether or not it was admissible in court,” she said.

And that’s not all.

“We would need the Oxford School Board to waive attorney-client privilege and provide for everything to be returned. And more importantly, the things that weren’t handed over to Guidepost. We would need the willing participation of all witnesses, including staff, and others, including gods who have not cooperated with Guidepost Review,” Nessel said.

Nessel talked about how a civil investigation could work, instead of a criminal one.

“I think it involves a lot of different actors, not just people from the Attorney General’s Department involved, but potentially people from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Board of Education and many others that are part of this team that we could put together,” said Nessel.

But she was quick to point out that her office does not have the civil authority to launch a civil investigation without the help of the state legislature. Nessel expressed concern that resources and tax dollars would be used for an investigation that could provide little or no new revelations about the Oxford High School shooting.

“The authority of the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office and the authority of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department is exactly the same as our authority. So I guess my question is, if those entities couldn’t get these people to cooperate, how are we going to do it?” Nessel said.

She also said that her office will struggle with time. That’s because the 6-year statute of limitations is already halfway over, and Nessel only has two years left in office.

Oakland County District Attorney Karen McDonald offered the following statement:

From the very beginning, we supported the parents of Hana St. Juliana, Justin Shilling, Madisyn Baldwin and Tate Myre in their call for a comprehensive, state-led investigation into the Oxford High School shooting.

As I indicated in my note to families, there is a difference between the role of a prosecutor, who is a lawyer, and that of the police and other investigators, who gather evidence. My office does not have the authority to conduct the investigation requested by the families. The Attorney General does.

We are not aware of any mechanism for our office to refer a matter to the Attorney General’s office when it has not been brought to our office. And what families are asking for is much broader. We are not aware of any action required by my office to activate the Attorney General’s authority, but we will do our best to allow such an investigation. And my office will cooperate fully with any such investigation.

There is so much we can learn, and we owe it to the students who were killed and those who were injured, their families, the Oxford community, and our children to do everything we can to prevent future shootings. An independent investigation remains a critical missing piece in this process.

Subscribe to Newsletter TV5 and get the latest local news and weather direct to your email every day.

Copyright 2024 WNEM. All rights reserved.