Following the deadly school shooting at Oxford High School over a week ago, the school district is seeing its first two civil lawsuits alleging that the shooting could have been prevented.

The first $100 million federal lawsuit was filed by parents Jeffrey and Brandi Franz on behalf of their two daughters, 17-year-old senior Riley Franz and 14-year-old freshman Bella Franz. Riley was shot and wounded by the alleged gunman, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, in the neck while her sister was standing by her.

The lawsuit names several school officials including Oxford School District superintendent Tim Throne, the high school’s principal Steven Wolf, the dean of students, two counselors, two teachers, and a staff member. At the heart of the lawsuit is the claim that the shooting was preventable and that the school district did not take the necessary steps to prevent it. Among the missteps was not involving the school’s safety liaison officer in discussions about Crumbley’s concerning behavior in the days and hours leading up to the shooting. "Throne, Wolf, and other employees and/or agents of Oxford Community School District had knowledge of threats made to the students, Riley and Bella Franz," the complaint reads. "At all times relevant, all Defendants willfully misrepresented the dangers presented."

The parents’ attorney Geoffrey Fieger announced the lawsuit during a press conference in which he addressed the parallels to the 1999 school shooting at Columbine High School. Columbine claimed the lives of 12 students and one teacher after teen shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold attacked their school. Fieger represented the family of victim Isaiah Shoels in that incident; his family was eventually ordered to accept a $366,000 settlement against the shooters’ families.

During the press conference, Fieger explained that the school shooting at Oxford was “entirely preventable." He explained, “It’s not enough to make murderers like these people and their son responsible or complicit. There is a responsibility among teachers, counselors, and school administrators.”

Fieger also acknowledged Michigan's governmental immunity laws. Such laws give school districts a relatively large shield against parents who want to sue the school districts. “I understand that this is not going to be easy,” Fieger said. “However, now is the time to do something about it.”

The family attorney noted Oakland county’s prosecutor Karen McDonald and her pursuit of accountability in a first-ever attempt to go after a school shooter’s parents. Fieger explained that the same accountability should be extended to the school district and officials who had missed plenty of warning signs that could have prevented the shooting.

Following news of the shooting, reports quickly came to the surface that the 15-year-old shooter had been in touch with administrators and other school personnel both on the day of the shooting and on the day before. The county prosecutor shared in a press conference that the day before the shooting, a teacher observed Crumbley searching up ammunition on his cell phone during class. The next day, hours before the shooting, another teacher found an alarming note that Crumbley drew while at his desk. The note depicted a gun and bloodied bodies with the words, "the thoughts won't stop, help me," "blood everywhere," “my life is useless,” and “the world is dead.”

Fieger described that the school saw the red flags yet did not take the necessary steps to address the issue. Fieger explains that by ignoring these red flags, the district "created and increased the dangers then-existing at Oxford High School."

McDonald also addressed the school's response to Crumbley’s concerning behaviors in the days and hours leading up to the schooling. When asked about why the teen was allowed to return to class after meeting with school officials, McDonald explained, “I’m not going to give you a political answer, and I’m not going to cover for anybody. But, of course, he should not have been allowed to go back to that class. I believe that is a universal position. I’m not going to chastise or attack.”

"And as a result, by doing the things that they did or didn't do, they placed the students in much greater danger than they would have been had they done that,” Fieger detailed during the press conference. “The students would have been protected, and that is basically the essence in the federal complaint here."

In addition to the concerns raised by teachers, the complaint against the school highlights moments where the school principal failed to acknowledge the potential of danger. The complaint reads, "That same day, November 16, 2021, Wolf emailed parents indicating, 'I know I'm being redundant here, but there is absolutely no threat at the HS ... large assumptions were made from a few social media posts, then the assumptions evolved into exaggerated rumors.'"

In addition to the federal lawsuit, Fieger said on Thursday that he's preparing to file a similar suit in state court, which will also seek $100 million. No additional details about that lawsuit have become available yet.