District attorney not filing charges in death of 12-year-old Georgia girl after fight at bus stop

The Douglas District Attorney's Office is not filing any charges in connection with the death of a 12-year-old Mason Creek Middle School student after a fight after school earlier this year.

Investigators said Jada West was involved in a physical fight with another student on March 5, shortly after 5:20 p.m. on Reflective Waters Drive in the Ashley Place subdivision.

In a press conference on Monday, Douglas County District Attorney Dalia Racine said the situation began with an argument between West and the student, whom Racine referred to as "J.S.," on their school bus.

Witnesses said the argument began when the bus driver stopped for less than three minutes before crossing some train tracks. According to Racine, bus drivers are not allowed to cross tracks unless they can listen for trains, and the noise from the students at the front of the bus caused her to pause. J.S. allegedly yelled at the students to quiet down from the back of the bus, which led to a confrontatio that other students egged on, Racine said.

When the girls got off the bus, the argument turned into a short physical fight. Racine said cellphone footage showed both girls falling on the roadway, with J.S. landing on top of West. After that, bystanders separated the two girls.

According to the district attorney, West lay down on the curb and soon became unresponsive, leading J.S. to call her mother, a registered nurse, to check on West. At around 5:34 p.m., police officers were called to the scene. By the time they arrived, firefighters and emergency medical services were already there.

West was transported to Tanner Medical Center in Villa Rica and later moved to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Scottish Rite Hospital. She died at the hospital three days later. An autopsy from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation revealed that West had an underlying genetic heart condition that led to her death.

"While the stress of the verbal argument or the physical fight could have contributed to this condition, there is no way to make a definitive medical determination that this incident led to the condition that ultimately caused Jada's death," Racine said. 

Investigation leads to case closing without charges

Racine said that West and J.S. did not appear to have previous conflict before the argument but shared the same bus stop.

The Villa Rica Police Department interviewed J.S., her mother, the bus driver, a bus driver trainee, 12 students who were on the bus that day, and a bystander who had picked up her child.  

Racine said that they investigated allegations that J.S. had bullied West in the past, but found no evidence that the girls had interacted in the past.

Based on the evidence, Racine said that investigators were not able to determine who started the fight. That determination, as well as the autopsy, led in part to the decision not to file any charges.

"We recognize that this determination does not ease the pain or the significance of the loss of Jada," she said, describing West's death as a "profound loss." 

"We believe that Jada's family and the community deserve to understand the basis of the decision and the evidence and law informed it," she continued.

District attorney calls out false social media reports

The district attorney called out narratives on social media that she said were unfounded by evidence. Racine said that J.S., her family, and adult witnesses received multiple threats, which eventually led J.S.'s family to leave Douglas County.

"Questions and concerns are completely understandable when one of our own children shockingly disappears from us and dies," she said. "Members of the public can seek answers while allowing investigators and medical professionals to establish the facts and without threats toward those connected to an incident."

Family reacts to district attorney's decision

West's family, speaking through their attorneys, said they were "incredibly disappointed" by the decision not to bring charges in the case.

"The simple fact is that Jada's genetic condition was exacerbated because she was attacked at the school bus stop. In other words, if she hadn't been attacked, Jada would be alive with us today," their statement read. "Those are the facts and they are as clear as can be."