Jada West, a sixth-grader in suburban Villa Rica, Georgia, died days after she collapsed in the street following a fistfight near a school bus stop, police said. Sgt. Spencer Crawford, a police spokesman, said officers responded to a call describing a young juvenile in cardiac arrest lying in the street and that paramedics found her as they arrived.
Crawford said investigators are still reviewing evidence, including cellphone video of the fight, and are waiting for autopsy results. He said police plan to meet with prosecutors later this week, with prosecutors ultimately deciding whether charges will be brought.
Crawford said the fight involved Jada and another student from Mason Creek Middle School. He said it broke out at an intersection near Jada’s home on Thursday afternoon, and that she was taken to a hospital after collapsing.
The AP reported that cellphone video posted by Jada’s aunt on social media shows a school bus leaving the scene more than 90 seconds before any punches were thrown. The clip shows Jada and another girl yelling and taunting each other at a distance while classmates watch.
According to the video description, the girls put down their backpacks at roughly the same time, approached, and began throwing punches. Within seconds, both fell to the pavement, with Jada landing on her back and rolling backward feet-first over her head and neck, before both girls stood up after a woman intervened.
Crawford said police were dispatched after receiving the emergency call and that paramedics had arrived to provide care. He said paramedics told investigators there was an adult on scene performing CPR when they arrived.
After being taken to the hospital, Jada remained in critical condition until her death, according to the report. On Sunday, her mother, Rashunda McClendon, posted a video to Facebook asking people to “please pray for my baby” as she said Jada was “fighting for her life.”
Jada’s aunt, De’Quala McClendon, later announced on Facebook that her niece had died. The AP reported that Rashunda McClendon declined to speak with an Associated Press reporter who came to her home on Wednesday.
A memorial was left near the scene, with a paper sign staked into the ground bearing “RIP JADA WEST” and additional wording, and a bouquet and a plastic pinwheel placed beside it. In a statement, Douglas County District Attorney Dalia Racine said her office was aware of the police investigation into Jada’s death but offered no further comment.
The Douglas County School System said the incident did not happen on school property or during school hours and that there was nothing indicating it was connected to on-campus activity. The district said counselors were made available to speak with students and staff.