Shaquille O'Neal pays for funeral of 12-year-old who died after fight with classmate
· Toronto Sun
Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal has stepped up to pay for the funeral of a girl who died after a fight with a classmate.
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O’Neal, the all-time hoops great, was moved by the death of 12-year-old Jada West, who died earlier this month after the fight, according to TMZ.
O’Neal made the offer to pay for the funeral when he heard about the death of West, sixth-grader at Mason Creek Middle School in Winston, Georgia, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
O’Neal serves as the county’s chief of community relations.
Girl’s story touched Shaq’s heart
“This story touched my heart the moment I saw it in the media,” O’Neal said, according to the report.
“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.”
“Our community must surround this family with love, support, and compassion during such a painful moment.”
Off-campus bullying incident allegedly led to death
West died on March 5 following an alleged off-campus bullying incident.
Police are still investigating the incident, according to TMZ.
A GoFundMe launched for West states: “Following a tragic incident connected to ongoing bullying and a physical altercation, Jada passed away, leaving her family, friends, and community devastated. No family should ever have to face the pain of losing a child, and the weight of grief they are carrying right now is unimaginable.”