The teenager who carried out the 2021 Oxford High School shooting is now facing a prison sentence of life without the possibility of parole, the Associated Press reports. 

During a video conference that took place on Friday, the judge overseeing the case - Judge Kwame Rowe - indicated that a "life without parole" prison sentence is on the table for 17-year-old Ethan Crumbley.

What is going on?

Rowe's decision comes after a recently-held hearing in which he heard expert testimony about, among other things, Crumbley's mental health.

When the perpetrator of a crime is a teenager, the judge must consider such factors as the perpetrator's family life, maturity, and mental health - among other things - before the perpetrator, under the law, could be given a sentence of life without parole.

The point of the hearing that took place in August was to determine whether or not a "life without parole" sentence ought to be on the table for Crumbley - who was 15 years old at the time of the shooting. After considering the evidence, Judge Rowe, on Friday, decided that it should.

"This crime is not the result of impetuosity or recklessness. Nor does the crime reflect the hallmarks of youth. Defendant carefully and meticulously planned and carried out the shooting," Rowe said.

The judge also said that, based on what he has seen from Crumbley, it is unlikely that imprisonment will have any rehabilitative effect on him.

Background

On Nov. 30, 2021, Crumbley, who was 15 years old at the time, opened fire on Oxford High School in Michigan.

Crumbley, in a carefully planned out attack, took the lives of four students, on that day, while injuring several others, including a teacher.

Crumbley has pled guilty to a slew of charges, including four counts of first-degree murder and one count of terrorism that caused death.

Looking forward:

Next up, Crumbley's sentencing hearing is scheduled to take place in Oakland County on Dec. 8, 2023. At this hearing, those affected by Crumbley's actions will be able to tell the judge what sentence he ought to impose on Crumbley and why.

Then, the judge will decide whether the teenager will spend the rest of his life behind bars with no possibility of parole or whether Crumbley ought to be given the hope that, one day, he might be released.

Rowe has already seemed to indicate that he is leaning towards the former.

In the meantime, Crumbley's parents continue to await trial. Jennifer and James Crumbley are facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter for allegedly facilitating the attack that Crumbley carried out on the high school.