Teen left 'brain damaged' after head slammed off concrete in brutal school brawl

13 March 2024 , 16:08

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Kaylee, 15, suffered severe brain damage after the attack, her family said (Image: GoFundMe)

A 15-year-old girl who was brutally beaten by another teenager has been pictured for the first time as her family said she has suffered severe brain damage.

The victim, identified as Kaylee, was assaulted near Hazelwood East High School in St. Louis, Missouri, last Friday. The following day, police arrested another girl, also aged 15, on charges of assault.

Kaylee's family have now launched a fundraiser to help them pay for medical bills and support the girl in the wake of the assault. Her relatives said Kaylee is in critical condition and "fighting hard to stay alive", adding that this is "only the beginning of a very uphill battle" for her and her family.

READ MORE: Teen left fighting for life after head slammed into ground in brutal beating near high school

Kaylee was attacked near Hazelwood East High School in St. Louis, Missouri, last Friday (Twitter)

A 15-year-old girl was arrested after the attack (Twitter)

They wrote on GoFundMe: "In minutes, this family's life shattered when their only daughter was assaulted outside of a North County high school. She was left alone on the ground to convulse before EMTs arrived on the scene. She was admitted to one of the local hospitals in Saint Louis with a skull fracture and frontal lobe damage.

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"She has major brain bleeding and swelling and is in critical condition. Kaylee is fighting hard to stay alive and heal but this is only the beginning of a very uphill battle for Kaylee and her family.

"We will not know the extent of the brain damage that has occurred until she wakes up but the path to recovery will be extremely hard on the family, not only mentally but financially. Her mother and father are staying by her side night and day hoping to bring her back to the Kaylee they know and love.

"Your support would help with lost wages and piling up medical bills due to intensive care treatment. Every Donation, big or small, will go directly towards easing these stressful days, allowing Kaylee's family to be able to be there 100% for her day and night and help with the medical bills that they foresee."

Kaylee was seen on the floor as students fought around her (Twitter)

A number of youngsters became involved in the fight (Twitter)

Meanwhile, Missouri's Attorney General has called on the alleged attacker to be "tried as an adult" as he slammed the "evil" acts that took place on March 8. On Sunday, sharing the announcement that the suspect had been arrested, Missouri's 44th Attorney General posted on his X account: "This evil and complete disregard for human life has no place in Missouri, or anywhere. I am praying for the victim. The criminal should be charged and tried as an adult. If the victim dies, that offense should rise to a homicide."

Missouri passed its first piece of "Raise the Age" legislation with the bill changing the age for which teenagers can be tried as adults, raising it from 17 to 18 years old. However, the state allows for children as young as 12 who are suspected of having committed a felony to be tried as an adult at the discretion of the court.

A viral video showed the teen being knocked to the floor by the 15-year-old. More kids rushed to the scene and began to crowd around the downed girl before also kicking her on the floor.

Kaylee was brutally beaten near the high school (Twitter)

The attacker then appeared to pin down the injured girl to the ground before smashing her head off the concrete. The injured girl eventually stopped moving as children tried to break up the fight, while others exchanged blows in the background.

After receiving reports of the fight, police rushed to the scene and found the girl with serious head wounds and quickly rushed her to a local hospital. As of the early hours of Tuesday morning, it was unclear the extent of the victim's injuries, with unconfirmed reports circulating that the girl was in a coma following the brutal fight.

The Hazelwood School District expressed its sympathy on the “tragedy” along with its anti-bullying stance. A statement posted to Facebook read: "It is a tragedy anytime children are hurt.

"Bullying and fighting in the community is an issue for which we all need to take ownership and work towards a resolution for the sake of our children. We look forward to continuing to partner with our community for the sake of our children. Please be kind and respectful of the families involved during this difficult time and pledge to help work toward the betterment of our entire community."

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Police have asked anyone with information on the circumstances under which the incident occurred to contact St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210. Over $30,000 (£23,400) has been donated on GoFundMe at the time of writing. You can donate to the fundraiser here.

Chiara Fiorillo