Education
Education

12-year-old Douglas County girl dies from fight with classmate, police say

Counselors will be at the school to help students and staff Tuesday.
(Hyosub Shin/AJC FILE)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

(Hyosub Shin/AJC FILE)
By
March 10, 2026

Authorities are investigating the circumstances behind a 12-year-old Douglas County girl who died after injuries they say she sustained in a fight with another student.

Jada West, a sixth-grader at Mason Creek Middle School, arrived home from school around 5 p.m. Thursday when a dispute turned into a fight with a 14-year-old classmate, said Villa Rica Police Sgt. Spencer Crawford, a department spokesperson. The fight occurred after the students got off the school bus in the Ashley Place subdivision. West later died from her injuries, Crawford said.

Crawford said police and the Douglas County District Attorney’s office are working together to determine if any criminal charges will be filed.

West’s family told Channel 2 Action News she was new to the area and was being bullied.

“She was loving, she was kind, she didn’t deserve this,” her mother, Rashunda McClendon, said in an interview.

Douglas County School District officials plan to have counselors at the school Tuesday to assist students and staff with their grief.

About the Author

Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He currently writes about higher education and has assisted in the newsroom’s COVID-19 vaccine coverage. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.

Follow Eric Stirgus on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Mary Crocker (left) and her brother Elwyn Crocker Jr. were found buried behind a family home in Effingham County in December 2018. Detectives believed both children were 14 when they were last seen alive. (Courtesy of the Effingham County Sheriff's Office)

Credit: Effingham County Sheriff's Office

Father accused of slaying, burying children in Georgia backyard gets plea deal

Georgia prosecutors dropped death penalty trial for Elwyn Crocker Sr. after plea deal of life in prison without parole for man accused of killing, burying his two children.

Mississippi middle school students stop bus from crashing after driver blacks out

Quick-thinking middle school students in Mississippi have kept their school bus from crashing after their driver passed out on a four-lane highway.

The Latest

A parent holds a sign at a rally along Mountain Industrial Boulevard outside of the DeKalb County School District headquarters on Monday, April 20, 2026, in Stone Mountain. Parents and students from schools across the district rallied against the proposed for closure as part of the ongoing redistricting process. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

DeKalb is bracing for school closures. These parents say it’s the wrong move.

Morris Brown reaccredited after review

Erroll Davis, former university system chancellor and APS superintendent, dies at 81

Featured

The Hawks' former senior vice president of finance was sentenced Wednesday to just over three years in federal prison for stealing $3.8 million from the team. (Jason Getz/AJC 2025)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Ex-Hawks exec sentenced for embezzling nearly $4M from team

The Atlanta Hawks' former senior vice president of finance was sentenced Wednesday to just over three years in federal prison for stealing $3.8 million from the team.

AJC VARSITY

This Georgia school is state’s top producer of NFL draft picks this century

Westlake has produced five first-round NFL draft picks, the most of any Georgia school. Only one other school, Hillgrove, has as many as three first-round choices.

Josh Brolin selling $5 million Atlanta home as acting jobs go elsewhere

The “Avengers” star told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “We would not sell this property if my work didn’t take us west.”