Defence lawyer Shannon Smith had asked for a bond of US$50,000 to US$100,000, saying the couple was not a flight risk.

“They were not fleeing prosecution,” added defence lawyer Mariell Lehman, who noted the couple was “absolutely devastated” over the mass shooting their son, Ethan, 15, is accused of.

Smith also maintained her contention during the hearing that the husband and wife were not fleeing when they were captured before 2am on Saturday in the basement of a Detroit building on Bellevue Street in Detroit.

Ethan Crumbley was charged as an adult with one count of terrorism causing death, four counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of assault with intent to murder and 12 counts of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He faces up to life in prison without parole if convicted.

During Saturday’s arraignment, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said the couple bought the gun used in the mass shooting for their son and could have prevented Tuesday’s tragedy.

“We know James Crumbley purchased this weapon for his son,” McDonald said. “These two individuals could have stopped it.”

McDonald also cited alleged texts and social media posts from Jennifer Crumbley after her son was reported for allegedly looking up ammunition on his phone. The mother allegedly told her son in a text “LOL … I’m not mad You have to learn not to get caught”.

But the defence lawyer for the Crumbleys said they will vigorously fight the case in court.

Smith, who is representing Jennifer Crumbley said: “When you listen to the prosecution’s facts in the case … it does sound like it was an absolutely egregious wrongdoing on the part of Mr and Mrs Crumbley … that they gave their child a gun and encouraged him to do this. … That’s just not the case,” said Smith.

Smith maintained on Saturday that the gun James Crumbley purchased on Black Friday was locked away. “That gun was actually locked (up),” Smith told the judge.

The couple’s capture followed an extensive multi-law enforcement search for them on Friday after they failed to show up for an arraignment on involuntary manslaughter charges in Rochester Hills District Court. Their arrests came hours after a US$10,000 reward was set up for their apprehension.

At a press conference on Saturday afternoon, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said his office pursued the arrest of the Crumbleys as soon as it received the warrant, and did not wait for them to turn themselves in.

“We’re not going to sit there and tap our fingers on the front desk and wait for them to come in,” Bouchard said.

Bouchard said the sheriff’s office is asking the public for tips about a person who may have helped the Crumbleys hide. “We believe they were assisted in that location, to get there and get in. We’re gathering information and will present that to our prosecutor for potential charges for either aiding and abetting, or obstruction of justice.”

Bouchard said all three Crumbleys are “segregated, individually, in isolation” in jail. He said there is no indication that any are suicidal, but “out of an abundance of caution” they are on suicide watch.

Earlier on Saturday, Detroit Police Chief James White in a press briefing at the scene where the couple was located said a tip led police to a commercial building in the 1100 block of Bellevue, where police set up surveillance and a perimeter before the couple was taken into custody without incident. Oakland County Undersheriff Michael McCabe said that tip came from a business owner who saw a woman near the vehicle.

The Crumbleys own a 2021 black Kia Seltos that could be seen parked near the building.

Asked if there could be additional charges, White said it was likely. The department is “working an angle on one other person”, and that Detroit police would work with prosecutors in both Wayne and Oakland counties.

James and Jennifer Crumbley are due back in court December 14 for a probable cause conference and December 21 for a preliminary examination, both hearings before Nicholson.