National civil rights attorneys join family of 12-year-old killed

With heavy hearts and a demand for accountability, the family of 12-year-old Jada West spoke publicly for the first time, Monday, March 16, 2026. Gathering inside Mt. Prospect Baptist Church, the family was flanked by a high-profile legal team, including nationally renowned civil rights attorneys Ben Crump, Harry Daniels, and Gerald Griggs. Jada, a sixth grader at Mason Creek Middle School, died last week after spending days in a coma. Her death followed a violent altercation on March 5 that began as an argument on a school bus and ended with a fight at a neighborhood bus stop.