Kriti Mehrotra
As a documentary living up to its title in every way conceivable, ABC News/Hulu’s ‘Sins of the Parents: The Crumbley Trials’ can only be described as equal parts haunting and heartbreaking. That’s because it carefully explores the way officials brought justice to all those involved in the November 2021 Oxford High School mass shooting, including the actual teen triggerman’s parents. It thus comes as no surprise that the loved ones of those who have either sadly lost their lives or undergone this trauma also play a crucial role in the original, especially Craig Shilling and Steve St. Juliana.
Craig Shilling is Still Mourning His Loss
Although not much regarding Craig or his bond with 17-year-old son Justin Shilling is publicly available at the moment, we do know they were close, even with the latter being the second of 3 boys. Therefore, of course, this Marine City turned Oakland County resident’s entire world turned upside down on November 30, 2021, as his young boy was mercilessly shot to death inside his school. In fact, during Ethan Crumbley’s sentencing hearing in December 2023, he said grief has “squeezed out every bit of joy” from his life to such an extent he’s unsure if he can find his way back.
Craig also said the death of his son “rocked three generations of my family and has altered our future forever” because nothing is the same for any of them anymore – they’ve fallen into darkness. This hardworking family man himself suffers from PTSD, making it difficult for him to get out of bed most days or undertake the smallest activities he once used to love doing alongside Justin. “Golfing, bowling, ball games, hunting, fishing, camping, kayaking, are just a few of the activities I used to do with Justin that seemingly will never have the same effects based solely on the effect that he’s not there to do them with me,” he expressed.
“This unfair reality is something I will never get over,” Craig continued. “Day to day life goes on for so many, but in the clutches of grief and heartache, the difficulties are real and have so many side effects. It almost feels like time slows down and everything around you speeds up. It’s been two years already but feels much like yesterday… It’s unbearable to know that he’s never going to walk through that door.” He, hence, obviously asked the judge to pursue life imprisonment without parole for Ethan before later indicating he was rather content with the parents’ punishments too. And now, this father is trying his best to serve as an activist against mass shootings in the hopes they’ll cease for good.
Steve St. Juliana is Keeping Hana’s Name Alive
Life truly hasn’t been the same for Steve since his 14-year-old daughter H ana St. Juliana passed away upon bleeding out on that fateful day — he does still have his loving wife and another adorable daughter by his side, but it feels as if his family is now incomplete. He thus made his position on the kind of punishment he has always believed Ethan should be handed very clear during his sentencing hearing: “There can be no forgiveness. There can be no rehabilitation. There is absolutely nothing that the defendant can ever do to earn my forgiveness. His age plays no part. His potential is irrelevant. Ultimately, it is only his choices and his actions that matter. Actions that have consequences; that can never be undone.”
Steve also spoke of Hana, stating she was “an absolutely beautiful and thoughtful person. She was incredibly curious and talented. She continually tried new things… We will never know how many souls she may have touched, nor what improvements to people’s lives her efforts may have resulted in, [especially considering she was looking into maybe becoming an immunologist, a pharmacist, a nurse, a physician, or an FBI agent once she grew up].” Nevertheless, the one thing that arguably hurts him the most is that his daughter “bled out. It took over 30 minutes for the EMTs to get into the building to her. The shooter was taken into custody within nine minutes.”
Therefore, today, alongside Craig, Nicole Beausoleil, as well as Buck Myre — parents of Hana’s fellow students who were unfortunately killed that day — he’s hoping to prevent mass shootings from ever happening again. “Our kids are gone,” this International Sales Leader at TI Fluid Systems in Detroit, Michigan, said. “There’s nothing that we’re going to do or anybody’s going to do to bring them back and we’re here fighting for everybody elses’ kids so that nobody else goes through what we went through.” For this, he has since established Hana’s Memorial Fund, which aims to not only memorialize her life but also bring awareness to the need for safety, security, plus regulation.
