NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal has offered to pay for the funeral costs of a 12-year-old girl who died after a fight at a bus stop.
Jada West, 12, died a few days after she collapsed following a fight after school.
NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal speaks during a press conference in 2021 after being named Henry County Sheriff’s Officer Director of Community RelationsCredit: AP
O’Neal spotted during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official DrawCredit: Getty
West succumbed to a brain injury hours after being involved in a street fight in Villa Rica, about 30 miles west of Atlanta.
West’s death is being investigated by police, who say she got into a fistfight with another girl near a neighborhood bus stop where she was dropped off after school on March 5.
Following her passing, the Los Angeles Lakers legend O’Neal announced he doesn’t want the family of West to deal with the financial burden while grieving for the sixth grader, who died on March 8.
“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 erase even a small part of that burden, then it is the right thing to do,” O’Neal said in a statement.
“Our community must surround this family this love, support, and compassion during such a painful moment.”
O’Neal’s offer was revealed in a joint news release by the sheriff of Douglas County, where the fight took place, and the sheriff of Henry County, where he has a home.
The 54-year-old is also the sheriff’s community relations chief.
Police spokesman, Sgt. Spencer Crawford said investigators are reviewing cellphone video of the fight posted on social media that shows Jada and another girl approach each other and begin punching each other after the school bus leaves.
The video shows the girls falling to the ground before an adult seemed to stop the fight.
It ends as Jada picks up her backpack and walks away.
The 12-year-old never returned home.
Results of the autopsy to determine the cause of death have yet to be revealed.
West’s aunt, Lindsey McLendon Pettiford, wrote on social media that her funeral is set for Saturday.
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