VILLA RICA, Ga. — NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal says he will cover the funeral expenses for 12-year-old Jada West.
West died earlier this month after a fight at her Villa Rica school bus stop led to a brain injury.
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“This story touched my heart the moment I saw it in the media,” said O’Neal. “As a father, my heart goes out to Jada’s family. No parent should ever have to bury their child, and if there is anything I can do to ease even a small part of that burden, then it is the right thing to do."
O’Neal, who works with the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, says he is partnering with Henry County Sheriff Reginald Scandrett and Douglas County Sheriff Tim Pounds to make sure the family doesn’t bear the financial burden.
The family says that before the fight happened, West had been bullied at Mason Creek Middle School in Douglas County.
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“When a child’s life is taken so tragically, it affects all of us,” said Sheriff Pounds. “Our goal is simple. We want Jayda’s family to know that they are not alone and that communities across Georgia stand with them during this incredibly difficult time.”
Cellphone video shows her beefing with another group of kids. She and another girl started fighting, and on video, it appeared she took a hard fall and lost consciousness.
“She was loving, she was kind, she didn’t deserve this,” her mother, Rashunda McClendon, told Channel 2 Action News.
Police are continuing to investigate the incident.
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