A 12-year-old girl in Georgia died days after a fight with another student that was captured on video, and authorities are now reviewing the footage as part of an ongoing investigation.Jada West, a student at Mason Creek High School in Villa Rica, collapsed near her home on March 5 shortly after a physical altercation with another girl on the street, local media reported.She was initially taken to Tanner Medical Center and then transferred to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta-Scottish Rite, where she fell into a coma and died on March 8.Video circulating on social media reportedly shows West arguing with another girl after the two got off a school bus before the confrontation escalated into a fight in front of a group of children. The girls are seen exchanging punches and slaps before falling to the ground during the fight.
what the family said
Family members said the argument began earlier on the school bus and continued after the girls left near West’s neighborhood in Villa Rica, a city west of Atlanta. After the fight ended, West was able to get up and walk away, but he collapsed shortly after while heading home.A friend ran to alert West’s parents after his fall. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors later determined she had suffered a serious brain injury. Authorities said an autopsy is being performed to determine the exact cause of death.Reacting to the incident, a family member said on TikTok that West had been dealing with harassment before the fight. “Tragic end for my granddaughter who is bullied and died about three hours ago today at the Atlanta Children’s Hospital,” the family member wrote.“The incident occurred last Thursday when all of these children got off the bus to the point that my granddaughter could not get home, which led to her struggling to free herself, but unfortunately led to her final days in the ICU,” the post adds.West had transferred to Mason Creek High School in January. His family told local media that he had suffered bullying since he entered school.“I don’t understand. He was on the ground, he wasn’t breathing,” his mother, Rashuna McLendon, told Fox 5 Atlanta.The Villa Rica Police Department and the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office are reviewing video of the fight to determine if criminal charges will be filed.The Douglas County School System said it was “deeply saddened” by the student’s death and expressed its deepest condolences to her family. Authorities added that the fight occurred after school hours and off school property, placing the matter under police jurisdiction.Authorities said the investigation is ongoing.