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The guilty verdict on Tuesday against the mother of a Michigan teenager who murdered four students in 2021 in the state’s deadliest school shooting is likely to ripple across the country’s legal landscape as prosecutors find themselves weighing a new way to seek justice in mass shootings. But, legal experts say, don’t expect a rush of similar cases. That’s because prosecutors in Michigan had notably compelling evidence against the mother, Jennifer Crumbley, that jurors felt proved she should have known the mental state of her son, Ethan Crumbley, who was 15 at the time. (Arango, 2/6)

"Plain and simple, the deadly shooting at Oxford High School in 2021 should have — and could have — been prevented had the Crumbleys not acquired a gun for their 15-year-old son," said Nick Suplina, senior vice president for law and policy at Everytown for Gun Safety, a national advocacy group, in a statement. "This decision is an important step forward in ensuring accountability and, hopefully, preventing future tragedies." (Mackay, 2/6)

Tony Montalito still feels sadness surrounding the mass school shooting that took his young daughter's life in Parkland, Florida in 2018. But on Tuesday, he also felt some sense of justice. The jury decision in Michigan that found Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of a school shooter, responsible at least in part for the 2021 killings at Oxford High School sends an important signal, Montalito told USA TODAY. It offers parents of shooting victims some hope that people will take steps to keep guns away from their children. "Holding people accountable for their roles in not actively trying to get troubled individuals help before they commit acts of violence will send a strong message," Montalito said. (Jimenez, Santucci and Arshad, 2/6)

Black adults who have been exposed to gun violence are more likely to have lifetime suicidal ideation, according to a study by Rutgers Health researchers. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that Black adults who were shot, threatened with a gun, knew someone who was shot or witnessed or heard about a shooting are at increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behavior. (Zielinski, 2/6)

The White House is set to hold a series of events this week focused on combatting gun violence in Black communities as President Joe Biden continues to push Congress to do more on gun control. The events, organized by the newly created White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, kick off Monday with a nationwide virtual meeting with Black leaders on tackling gun violence in their communities. Biden will deliver a message recognizing this week as "Community Violence Awareness Week." (Garrison, 2/5)

Deaths from gun violence, after remaining relatively stable from 1999 to 2014, have spiked in recent years, to a peak of 48,830 in 2021, according to data maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But has gun violence become so horrific that it is now the leading cause of death for children? The Biden White House, in various venues, has made that claim. But the source cited in the White House news release — a 2022 study by the Center for Gun Violence Solutions at Johns Hopkins University — reports data with a broader focus. It cites gun deaths of “children and teens,” meaning it includes deaths of 18- and 19-year-olds, who are legally considered adults in most states. (Kessler, 2/7)