Prosecutors are pushing for a life sentence for a teenage boy who killed four fellow pupils in a horrific school shooting.
Ethan Crumbley, 16, massacred his classmates at Oxford High School in Michigan on November 30 last year before later pleading guilty to 24 charges, including murder and terrorism.
Six other students and a teacher were also injured in the attack.
Crumbley withdrew a possible insanity defence three weeks ago, and acknowledged his involvement in the shooting.
And on Monday, Oakland County assistant prosecutor Marc Keast revealed he would be looking for the toughest possible prison sentence for the teen, saying: "A sentence of imprisonment for life without the possibility of parole is appropriate in this case"
Under Michigan state law, possible prison terms for teens include parole eligibility after a minimum sentence of 25 years.
Crumbley's defence attorney, Paulette Michel Loftin, says she is disappointed but not surprised by the prosecutor's request, and contends that Crumbley could be rehabilitated in prison.
She told The Associated Press that she believes the hearing "will give the court, as well as the public, a good inside look into the difficult home life of Mr. Crumbley and what challenges he was facing".
His parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, are currently jailed on charges of involuntary manslaughter after being accused of making the gun accessible to their son and ignoring his need for mental health treatment.
Upon pleading guilty, Ethan Crumbley said his father bought the gun for him with the teen's own money several days before the shooting.
He added that the gun was not locked in a container or safe at home.
One the day of the shooting, a teacher had discovered a drawing with a gun pointing at the words: "The thoughts won't stop. Help me", as well as an image of a bullet with the message: "Blood everywhere."
The family declined to take their son home after being contacted but were told to get him into counselling within 48 hours, investigators claim
Ethan Crumbley later went into a school toilet, pulled out the weapon out of his backpack and began shooting.
The parents are now asking a judge to give them access to experts' reports about their son's mental state, which they believe could back up their claims.
"The Crumbleys maintain that they did not have any reason to believe that the shooter had mental health concerns" defence attorneys said in a court filing on Monday, adding that he "was experiencing sadness over the loss of his dog, his grandmother and a friend who had recently moved away."
