A 16-year-old carried out the Bend school shooting. Could his parents face charges? In Oregon, the Bend school shooting investigation has only just begun, but legal experts believe it may follow a similar path of recent school shooting cases.

It's illegal in Oregon for anyone under 18 to possess a firearm, with a few exceptions. So how exactly did the 16-year-old who carried out a school shooting in Bend, Oregon, last week get access to a gun and ammunition?

That question has yet to be answered and is part of what Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz called an  active criminal investigation. 


Recent cases in Michigan and Georgia suggest either or both parents of the teenage school shooter could be held criminally liable for the killings.

In Michigan, James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of 14-year-old school shooter Ethan Crumbley, were convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison. In Georgia, Colin Gray, the father of 14-year-old school shooter Colt Gray, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

And in a pending case in Wisconsin, the father of a 15-year-old school shooter faces three felony charges for allegedly allowing his daughter access to firearms. Jeffrey Rupnow, 44, has pleaded not guilty, and his trial is set for March, according to court records.

Those cases were part of a broader movement pushing the limits of who is accountable for a mass shooting. For prosecutors, the goal of bringing these cases is to ensure gun-owning parents secure their firearms and thereby prevent future school shootings.

In Oregon, the investigation has only just begun, but legal experts believe it will follow a similar path.

Related video: Bend, Oregon, students return to school after shooting

 It certainly could lead to a situation like we've seen recently in the last few years in Georgia and also Michigan, where parents have been charged criminally,  said Andrew McCabe, CNN senior law enforcement analyst.

Like in the Michigan and Georgia cases, investigators are likely to focus on how the Oregon school shooter obtained the firearm and 
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