Investigators are probing the death of a 12-year-old girl who died this week after a fight that erupted when a group of students got off a school bus in an Atlanta suburb.
The death of sixth grader Jada West is being investigated by police in suburban Villa Rica, about 30 miles west of the city.
Footage of the fight caught on a cell phone has gone viral.
Another viral video is also circulating of her heartbroken mother Rashunda McLendon wondering “what happened to the love” in today’s world, imploring parents to “teach your children to love,” and adding, “The Lord wants us to love.”
Several news outlets reported that the girl had been bullied since she recently transferred to Mason Creek Middle School and on March 5 allegedly got into an argument on the school bus that escalated into a physical fight after she was dropped off at her stop, Fox 5 reported.
Cellphone video shows a school bus leaving the scene more than 90 seconds before the physical altercation. It shows Jada, wearing a white sweater, and another girl exchanging words while standing a good distance apart. Classmates stand in a group watching them.
The two girls then drop their backpacks and square off, clashing as they violently hurl punches. In seconds, they fall to the pavement, clutching each other, with West landing on her back.
Children can be heard screaming as the fistfight unfolded, some urging them to fight while others implored them to stop.
Both girls then stand up and moments later an adult voice is heard telling West to “go home.” West picks up her backpack and appears to walk away when the clip ends.
Moments later, West reportedly collapsed.
One of her friends reportedly ran to her home to tell her mother, who ran to the scene.
“And she was on the ground,” McLendon told Fox 5. “She wasn’t breathing,”
Apparently the middle schooler was in cardiac arrest, as when first responders arrived they performed CPR before taking her to a local hospital. She died three days later.
Reportedly, the girl involved in the fight does not live in the same neighborhood as West, and the family is questioning why she was allowed to get off at West’s bus stop.
The Villa Rica Police Department, along with the Douglas County District Attorney’s office, will determine if charges are warranted in the case.
Authorities and the family are waiting for autopsy results, which could determine what caused the girl to collapse and whether a preexisting condition contributed to the event.
The Douglas County School System in a statement described Jada as “an upbeat, kind, and vibrant student” and was making counselors available at the school to speak with students and staff.
The school emphasized that the investigation would be handled by police, as the incident occurred off campus.
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of the Los Angeles crime novel Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
