“It may seem like a normal fight, but before my niece could make it home, her heart stopped and now she’s laying in the hospital possibly brain dead with the outcome that she may not make it.”
A 12-year-old Georgia girl has died after a violent fight with another student shortly after stepping off a school bus outside Atlanta. Authorities say the incident is now under investigation.
Jada West, a student at Mason Creek Middle School, suffered a fatal brain injury following the altercation Thursday evening in Villa Rica, according to reports. Police say the fight took place off school property shortly after 5 pm.
According to the Daily Mail, video shows two girls arguing in the street after being removed from a school bus. The confrontation escalated quickly.
"She done made all these people get off the bus," a person recording the video says.
West can be heard responding that she did not know the other girl involved in the argument. “Who is gonna fight you over some noise?" another voice says in the footage.
Police confirmed both girls involved in the fight were students at Mason Creek Middle School. At one point in the video, the other girl appears to threaten West before the fight begins. "Everybody know I kick a** so please don't start with me," the girl says.
The two began striking each other before falling to the ground. A loud thud is heard as they hit the pavement, and someone nearby shouts, "Oh my God, Jada!" Although West was helped up and walked away from the scene, she later suffered cardiac arrest while heading home. She was rushed to a hospital, where she later died from a brain injury, according to reports.
The Villa Rica Police Department confirmed it is investigating the incident and working with the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office. "We are working in conjunction with the Douglas County District Attorney's Office on the case and as of yet no charges have been filed," the department said.
Family members say the two girls did not know each other prior to the confrontation. West’s aunt, De'Quala McClendon, wrote on Facebook that the argument began earlier at school and continued onto the bus before the fight.
"It may seem like a normal fight, but before my niece could make it home, her heart stopped and now she's laying in the hospital possibly brain dead with the outcome that she may not make it," McClendon wrote.
After West’s death, the Douglas County School System released a statement expressing condolences.
"The Douglas County School System is deeply saddened by the passing of a student at Mason Creek Middle School," the district said. The school system noted the fight did not occur during school hours or on school property but said grief counselors would be made available to students and staff.
"We extend our heartfelt condolences and prayers to her family and loved ones during this difficult time," the district said.
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