PONTIAC, Mich. (WXYZ) — “It was scary at first, you know, it was a lot,” Aiden Watson said.
Shot in the leg in a classroom by Ethan Crumbley, Aiden Watson is still dealing with his emotions nearly a year after that horrifically tragic day at Oxford High School.
On Monday, Watson was in the courtroom, with his parents, when Crumbley took responsibility for his actions last Nov. 30, 2021.
“When I saw Ethan walk into the room, I got a feeling in my gut, you know, sort of like an angry feeling,” Watson said.
“Count 12, is it true that on November 30th, 2021, you assaulted Mr. Aiden Watson, by shooting him with a 9mm handgun, was your intention to kill him?” stated the Oakland County Assistant Prosecutor during the allocution.
“Yes,” Crumbley said.
“When he said that he was guilty of having the gun in the backpack, that gave me a lot of relief, because that’s a big thing, that’s a huge thing,” Watson said.
“Just hearing the charges and hearing your kid’s name, it was too much. And then it’s also incredibly difficult because I seen my son cry, but I think about there are four families that don’t get to see their kids cry. It’s incredibly sad, and it makes you angry at the same time and it’s not over," mom Linda Watson said.
WXYZ photojournalist Mike Glover asked, “Is the guilty plea a relief?”
“Yes,” Aiden Watson said. “It’s a big relief because there won’t be a hearing and it’ll just be a lot more easier on me, my parents, and all the victims just knowing that he knows exactly what he did, and he knows that he did it wrong.”
Aiden Watson is still undergoing physical therapy as he works to heal from the trauma — physically and emotionally — while also returning to school.
“It’s a lot to comprehend. It’s a lot to handle. You know, marching band, football, school, you know, my leg hurts all the time. I just have to deal with it. It’s something that happens every day and it’s something that’s just part of my life now,” Aiden Watson said.
It's something that will stay with him forever.
“How do you stay positive?” Glover asked.
“I stay positive, I want to have a fun life, I don’t want to let this let me down. I don’t want to let this destroy the rest of my life. I just want to stay positive; I wish things were back to before the 30th,” Aiden Watson.
