Investigation Launched Into Death of 12-Year-Old Girl After School Bus Fight

Authorities are looking into the death of a 12-year-old girl who passed away this week following a fight among students disembarking from a school bus in suburban Atlanta.

The incident involves Jada West, a sixth-grader at Mason Creek Middle School in Villa Rica, which is located about 30 miles from Atlanta.

Video footage capturing the altercation has gone viral on social media platforms.

In another emotional video, Jada’s mother, Lashunda McClendon, expresses her heartbreak and questions the state of love in the world today, urging parents to “teach our children to love,” as she reflects on her daughter’s tragic fate.

Reports indicate that Jada had been a victim of bullying since her recent transfer to the school. On March 5, an argument on the bus escalated, resulting in a physical fight just after she got off at the Fox 5 stop.

Footage recorded on a cellphone showed events leading up to the fight. In this video, Jada and another girl stand some distance apart, exchanging words while other students looked on.

After putting down their bags, the two girls faced off, throwing punches until both collapsed. In a chaotic scene, shouts of encouragement and pleas to stop mixed in the air.

Once the fight concluded, an adult could be heard telling Jada to “go home.” As the video ends, she appears to walk away but soon after, reportedly collapses.

A friend ran to alert her mother, who hurried to the scene.

“When I got there, she was on the ground. She wasn’t breathing,” McClendon recounted.

Paramedics that arrived found Jada in cardiac arrest and performed CPR before taking her to a nearby hospital, where she succumbed three days later.

The girl who fought with Jada does not live in her neighborhood, raising questions among Jada’s family about why she was allowed to disembark at Jada’s bus stop.

The Villa Rica Police Department is collaborating with the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office to assess if any charges should be filed in connection with this incident.

Authorities and Jada’s family are currently awaiting autopsy results, which may clarify why she collapsed and if any existing medical issues were a factor.

A statement from the Douglas County School System described Jada as a “bright, kind, active student,” and mentioned that she had access to a counselor at school for support.

Since the incident took place off school grounds, law enforcement will lead the investigation.