12-Year-Old Georgia Girl Dies After Fight With Alleged Bully
Jada West, a student at Mason Creek Middle School in Villa Rica, Georgia, died on Sunday after a physical altercation with another student earlier in the week. According to Fox 5 Atlanta and 11Alive, West collapsed near her home on March 5 after getting off the school bus and was transported to Scottish Rite Children's Hospital, where she fell into a coma before passing.
Video obtained by 11Alive shows the two girls fighting in the street while a group of children looked on. West reportedly got into an argument with the other student on the bus, and the confrontation turned physical after both exited. She walked away from the fight toward home before collapsing, per the outlets.
West's family says she had been experiencing bullying since transferring to Mason Creek in January. Her mother, Rashuna McLendon, told Fox 5 Atlanta she found her daughter unresponsive on the ground, adding that parents need to teach their children to love. The family has also raised questions about why the other student involved was riding a bus that didn't serve her neighborhood.
According to Fox 5 Atlanta and 11Alive, West collapsed near her home on March 5 after getting off the school bus and was transported to Scottish Rite Children's Hospital, where she fell into a coma before passing.
An autopsy is underway to determine the official cause of death. The Villa Rica Police Department is investigating, and the Douglas County District Attorney's Office is reviewing footage of the fight to assess whether charges will be filed, Fox 5 Atlanta reports.
The Douglas County School System offered condolences in a statement to PEOPLE, noting that the incident did not take place on school property or during school hours.