After 12-year-old Girl Dies Following School Bus Fight, Her family Is Searching for Answers
Jada West reportedly experienced bullying before a fight with another girl led to her untimely death.
Black News 
A family in Georgia is searching for answers after a 12-year-old girl died after walking away from a fight with another student. While a cause of death for Jada West has not been determined yet, her family is fighting for accountability.
“We just want justice for my niece,” West’s aunt told Fox 5 News this week. “This has got to stop. And we are going to keep saying Jada West’s name.”
It all started back in January when West enrolled in Mason Creek Middle School in Douglas County as a new student, the outlet reported. According to her mother, Rashunda McLendon, West allegedly experienced bullying since entering the school, but nothing could have prepared her for the tragedy that would soon strike.
On March 5, West was on the school bus going home when an argument with another girl allegedly broke out, per Fox 5. Eventually, the bus stopped in West’s neighborhood, prompting her to get out as normal. The other student allegedly followed, and a physical fight between the two broke out. It’s unclear if the other student involved also lived in West’s neighborhood.
One of West’s friends reportedly ran to her house and told West’s mother, McLendon, as the fight was happening. But by the time she got to the scene, it was too late. Videos of the students’ fight have been circling the internet. In the footage, you can see West walk away from the fight in the end. But she later collapsed near her home and was rushed to the hospital.
“And she was on the ground,” McLendon recalled. “She wasn’t breathing,” the mother continued to Fox. After being rushed to Tanner Medical Center and later taken to Scottish Rite Hospital, West fell into a coma, 11Alive reported. She died three days later on March 8.
“I don’t understand,” McLendon said. “I’m angry. We have to teach our children. I’m angry. What happened to the love? We lost our love, people. Teach your children to love.”
It remains unclear what exactly led to the fight. In response to the tragedy, the Douglas County School System released a statement saying they’re leaving the investigation up to the local authorities, according to The New York Post.
“The well-being of our students and staff is of primary importance to our school system. Any situation that results in harm to a child is one we take with the highest level of urgency,” the statement read. “This incident did not occur on school property or during school hours, and there is nothing to indicate that this is related to any on-campus activity. Therefore, this matter is under the jurisdiction of the Villa Rica Police Department.”
The Villa Rica Police Department and the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office are reviewing videos of the fight as part of the investigation. No criminal charges have yet been linked to West’s death yet.
