16-Year-Old Dies from Blunt Head Trauma 10 Days After High School Fight

Shaylee Mejia, a 16-year-old student, tragically passed away due to severe head trauma sustained during a violent altercation at her high school in Los Angeles. The incident occurred on March 5 at Manual Arts High School, and the young girl succumbed to her injuries on March 15, 10 days after the fateful altercation.

Following an extensive investigation, the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s report revealed that Mejia's death was attributed to accidental sequelae of blunt head trauma. The report indicated that the initial injury resulting from the altercation ultimately led to her untimely demise.

Sequence of Events

On the day of the incident, video footage captured Mejia hitting her head against a bathroom stall, leading to her collapse. Despite complaining of persistent headaches in the days following the attack, it wasn't until four days later, during a birthday party, that Mejia fainted. She was rushed to the hospital, where it was discovered that she had sustained a brain hemorrhage. Tragically, she never regained consciousness and passed away on March 15.

Maria Juarez, Mejia’s mother, revealed that her daughter had confided in her about being bullied at school since her arrival as a new student. A prior altercation in December had left Mejia with bruises, which were reportedly the result of bullying. Juarez's attempts to alert the school administration about the bullying were purportedly met with indifference, and no effective action was taken to address the issue.

Legal Action

Subsequently, Juarez has enlisted the help of attorney Luis Carrillo to pursue legal recourse against the school. Carrillo highlighted the school’s failure to protect Mejia and asserted that timely intervention could have averted the tragedy.

Following Mejia’s passing, Principal Alejandro Macias expressed condolences to the affected individuals and assured the provision of support to the community. Similarly, the Los Angeles Unified School District offered condolences to Mejia’s family and friends, emphasizing the impact of the loss on the entire school community. The school district also made available crisis counselors and additional support resources for the students.

In the wake of this devastating loss, a GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up to assist Juarez in covering the funeral expenses. At present, representatives for relevant parties have yet to provide further details in response to inquiries.